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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Alexander Butler and Namita Singh

Hong Kong jails 45 pro-democracy activists in China-led crackdown on dissent

File. A supporter holds a poster showing some of the 47 pro-democracy activists on trial at the West Kowloon Court in Hong Kong on 8 July 2021 - (AFP via Getty)

Hong Kong’s High Court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to jail terms of up to 10 years in a landmark national security trial seen as a stark demonstration of a China-led crackdown on dissent.

A total of 47 pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged in 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law, which carries sentences of up to life in prison. The charges stemmed from an unofficial primary election in July 2020, where the activists aimed to pick the best candidates for an upcoming legislative election.

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