On Tuesday, nine veteran pro-democracy activists appeared together in court in Hong Kong due to charges related to the organization and participation in mass protests against the national security law imposed on the region in 2019. The trial stands out for the number of defendants facing prosecution and the prominence of those on trial. The people on trial include 82-year-old Martin Lee, media mogul Jimmy Lai, and several others. The activists face up to 5 years in prison.
Mr. Lee has been engaged in pro-democracy work for decades, founding the city’s first pro-democracy party and helping to write Hong Kong’s foundational legal document in 1990. Other Hong Kong residents being charged include Margaret Ng, a 73-year-old barrister; Albert Ho, a 69-year-old lawyer, and activist; Lee Cheuk-yan, a 64-year-old labor leader, and Leung Kwok-hung, also 64, a longtime politician and activist. Police arrested the group last April in coordinated early morning raids that surprised many in the city.
Read More: Hong Kong Trial of Nine Pro-Democracy Activists Begins
