Hong Kong court convicts 14 pro-democracy activists in the city’s biggest national security case

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted 14 pro-democracy activists in the city’s biggest national security case under a law imposed by Beijing that has all but wiped out public dissent.

Those who were found guilty included former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung, Lam Cheuk-ting, Helena Wong and Raymond Chan. But the three judges approved by the government to oversee the case acquitted two former district councilors Lee Yue-shun and Lawrence Lau.

They were among 47 democracy advocates who were prosecuted in 2021 for their involvement in an unofficial primary election. Prosecutors had accused them of attempting to paralyze Hong Kong’s government and topple the city’s leader by securing the legislative majority necessary to indiscriminately veto budgets.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Some of Hong Kong’s best-known pro-democracy activists charged in the city’s biggest national security case will begin to hear their verdicts as early as Thursday, facing up to life in prison if convicted under a law imposed by Beijing that has all but wiped out public dissent.

The 16 defendants were among 47 democracy advocates who were prosecuted in 2021 for their involvement in an unofficial primary election under the sweeping law. They were accused of attempting to paralyze Hong Kong’s government and topple the city’s leader by securing the legislative majority necessary to indiscriminately veto budgets.

Observers said their subversion case will illustrate how the security law is being used to crush the political opposition following huge anti-government protests in 2019. But the Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the law has helped bring back stability to the city and that judicial