A Hong Kong court announced 14 convictions for pro-democracy activists on May 30, 2024 for conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security law enacted in June 2020. The 16 defendants whose cases were decided on May 30 all pled not guilty, while the other 31 pled guilty. The case, brought in Feb. 2021, is the city’s largest to date under the National Security law, charging 47 pro-democracy defendants with subversion. Two defendants – former district councilors Lawrence Lau and Lee Yue-shun – were acquitted, making them the first to be acquitted under the new law. However, the prosecution announced their intention to appeal the acquittals. Sentencing is expected at a later date.

The “Hong Kong 47” were accused of trying to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” the government for holding an unofficial primary election in July 2020 that legal scholar Benny Tai described as “a constitutional weapon with great destructive power.” The primary was meant to shortlist pro-democracy candidates who would contest in the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) elections, and attracted 610,000 voters, or 13 percent of the city’s electorate.

In the judgment released by justices Andrew Chan, Alex Lee, and Johnny Chan on the 14 convicted, judges determined that “the scheme, if carried out in accordance with the intentions of the parties as alleged, would necessarily amount to ... undermining the performance of duties and functions in accordance with the law by the government.”

The court has scheduled a hearing on June 25 for the convicted defendants to plead for more lenient sentencing.