Caught in a ‘single net’

“These people have undergone a kind of social death, and they are temporarily dead in the political arena. A single net has captured them all,” said Ms Wong, who has visited Lau in prison several hundred times since he was jailed in 2021.

Five relatives and friends of defendants interviewed by Reuters said they felt a sense of relief at reaching the sentencing stage after an extended legal limbo, which brought on mental and physical health issues for some.

One defendant, former journalist Eddie Chu, now suffers from glaucoma and sometimes cannot see clearly, which affects his mood, according to his friend Debby Chan.

Mr John – the husband of another defendant Winnie Yu – who did not wish to disclose his full name due to the sensitivity of the matter, said he stood by her decision to not plead guilty despite knowing that the chance of acquittal was low.

“It’s because she wants to say something,” Mr John told Reuters. “Stick to our beliefs, don’t change our thoughts easily because of others, be ourselves… I think this experience will be passed down for generations.”

Some legal experts say the treatment of the democrats has been a departure from common law traditions. Most were denied bail, and they were all denied a jury trial.

Ms Urania Chiu, a doctoral legal researcher at Oxford University, said: “The 47 democrats verdict makes crystal clear that any such compatibility with human rights or the rule of law stops at the all-important legislative purpose of the national security law as a means to protect national security.”

China says the security laws were necessary to restore order after the mass protests of 2019.

Ms Sarah Brooks, China director for Amnesty International, said there were parallels between this case and subversion trials against government critics in mainland China.

“Opposition is seen as dissent… That is a remarkable about-face for Hong Kong.”

Ms Chan, the friend of Eddie Chu, said while the current national security legal system meant that protesting or speaking out publicly has been prohibited, many people maintain their desire for freedoms and democracy in private.

“The democratic movement in Hong Kong has now become invisible,” she told Reuters. “Taking on another meaning and form.” REUTERS