HK Jails Benny Tai for 10 Years in Longest Security Law Sentence
- Ex-youth activist Joshua Wong gets four years and eight months
- US condemns sentences, while Australia expresses grave concern
Joshua Wong and Benny Tai during a rally outside the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong on Oct. 10, 2014.
Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/BloombergA Hong Kong court sentenced former democracy advocate Benny Tai to 10 years in prison, the longest sentence ever meted out using a China-imposed security law, in a move likely to further deter dissent in the finance hub and worsen ties with Western governments.
Former youth activist Joshua Wong got four years and eight months as sentences were handed down to 45 defendants Tuesday, after they were arrested in 2021 in a sweeping police campaign that effectively silenced the city’s entire political opposition. The US government criticized the sentences and has previously vowed to put visa curbs on officials responsible for carrying out Beijing’s crackdown.