World
The 47 Pro-Democracy Figures in Hong Kong’s Largest National Security Trial (Published 2023)
A court in Hong Kong convicted 14 pro-democracy activists on Thursday in a landmark political trial. They and dozens of other activists who had previously pleaded guilty now face potential prison time, highlighting the sweeping power of a national security law Beijing imposed to tighten its grip on the Chinese territory.
The trial centered on 47 opposition figures — politicians, academics and activists — whom the authorities accused of conspiracy to commit subversion. Here’s a look at who they are.
Joshua Wong, 27, became a prominent activist at age 14.
Benny Tai, 59, was a professor of law at the University of Hong Kong.
Twelve were elected lawmakers, who had often used their presence in the legislature to protest China’s encroachment on Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Mo had served as a lawmaker for eight years and is known as “Auntie Mo.”
Better known as “Long Hair,” Leung had been a mainstay of the opposition for nearly two decades.
Chan was Hong Kong’s first openly gay lawmaker.
Twenty-one had been elected district officials, including younger activists who were voted in after months of antigovernment protests in 2019.
Sham was a leader of an activist group that organized huge pro-democracy rallies throughout 2019.
Others were prominent activists who had worked on various social causes.
Ng was a former flight attendant who became a union leader.
Ho was a journalist who rose to fame in 2019 when, during her livestream of a mob attack on protesters, she herself was beaten by thugs.
Wong was a student leader who began her activism when she was in high school.
Lengthy Detentions Without Trial
The 47 defendants were charged in February 2021 with subversion for holding or taking part in an unofficial primary vote to select opposition candidates to run in elections.
Unlike other types of offenses, national security cases impose a high threshold for bail, which, in effect, lets the authorities hold defendants for months or even years before trial. Critics say that amounts to a presumption that defendants are guilty.
In hearings before the trial, 16 contested the charges and 31 pleaded guilty, including Benny Tai and Joshua Wong. On Thursday, the court in Hong Kong acquitted two of the defendants, Lawrence Lau, a barrister, and Lee Yue-shun, a social worker.
The charges carry prison sentences that range from less than three years to life.
The defendants and their lawyers are barred from commenting on the case. But legal experts say the democracy proponents are probably under enormous pressure to plead guilty because of the lengthy detentions, dwindling financial resources and the long odds of winning in a court modeled after China’s authoritarian system.
“The process is designed to be as painful as possible,” said Samuel Bickett, a lawyer and activist based in Washington, D.C., who was jailed in Hong Kong after scuffling with a plainclothes police officer in 2019.
The Transformation of Hong Kong’s Political Landscape
Starting in June 2019, Hong Kong was engulfed in widespread protests calling for greater freedom from China.. To quell the unrest, Beijing imposed a national security law in June 2020, days before the 47 democrats held the primary election that would lead to their arrests months later.
Most of the 47 have been jailed ever since. Their arrests effectively muted the city’s once-vocal opposition. China also imposed a drastic overhaul of election rules for Hong Kong that effectively barred pro-democracy candidates from running for seats in the legislature.
Protests began
Mass antigovernment protests began and escalated in intensity over months.
National security law enacted
The new law bans vaguely defined crimes of secession, subversion and terrorism, with a potential sentence of life in prison.
Pro-democracy primary
Pro-democracy candidates held a primary vote ahead of the upcoming Legislative Council election. The 47 defendants helped organize or participated in this event.
Original date of the election
47 people charged, most denied bail
They were charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion,” for organizing and participating in the pro-democracy primary. Most were denied bail and kept behind bars as a long legal process began.
New election rules announced
China announced new rules for Hong Kong elections, limiting candidates to only those deemed loyal to Beijing.
“Patriots-only” election takes place
More than 30 defendants were detained. Most of them had been jailed for almost two years before the trial even began.
Closing arguments concluded
Hong Kong passed its own national security law
A court began issuing verdicts
World
Biden to speak with Netanyahu Thursday on latest Hamas cease-fire proposal
President Biden will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via phone on Thursday following Hamas’ response to a hostage and cease-fire deal, Fox News Digital can confirm.
Israel said Wednesday it is examining Hamas’ offer of returning the remaining 116 hostages who were captured by the terrorist group during the Oct. 7 attacks, which left nearly 1,200 people dead.
Netanyahu is set to convene his security cabinet later today to formulate a reaction to Hamas’ latest position, which could prove to be a pivotal step in ending the nine-month-long Israeli air and ground war that has devastated Gaza. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the war had climbed past 38,000, with at least 87,445 wounded.
NETANYAHU TRASHES NY TIMES REPORT CITING ANONYMOUS OFFICIALS WHO SAY ISRAELI MILITARY WANTS CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA
The U.S. has rallied world support behind a plan that would see the hostages still held by the militant group released in return for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, until now, neither side appears to have fully embraced it.
The current deal is reported to be based on a resolution outlined by President Biden in May, which would begin with an initial six-week cease-fire and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza and the return of Palestinian civilians to all areas in the territory.
Phase two would see “a permanent end to hostilities, in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
Phase three would launch “a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in Gaza to their families.”
GAZA MILITANTS FIRE ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL AS TANK ADVANCES INTENSIFY IN NORTH AND SOUTH
Hamas suggested “amendments” to the proposal last month, some of which the U.S. said were unworkable, without providing specifics. The group sent another response Wednesday to Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks, without providing details. A U.S. official said the Biden administration was examining the response, calling it constructive but saying more work needed to be done. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
Hamas political official Bassem Naim said that the group has neither accepted nor rejected the American proposal and has “responded with some ideas to bridge the gap” between the two sides, without elaborating.
However, the transition from the first to the second phase has appeared to be the main sticking point.
Hamas is concerned that Israel will restart the war after the first phase, perhaps after making unrealistic demands in the talks. Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hamas will do the same, drawing out the talks and the initial cease-fire indefinitely without releasing the remaining captives.
Israeli Channel 12, citing a senior Israeli official, reports that Hamas has withdrawn its demand for guarantees that Israel would end the war and withdraw entirely from Gaza in order for it to even agree to the first stage of the deal.
Additionally, the Hezbollah-linked newspaper Al-Akhbar reports that the Hamas plan involves Israel withdrawing troops from the Rafah Crossing area in agreement with Egypt but without having to fully withdraw from the key Philadelphi Corridor.
Netanyahu has been skeptical of the deal, saying that Israel is still committed to destroying Hamas.
“The war will end once Israel achieves all of its objectives, including the destruction of Hamas and the release of all of our hostages,” Netanyahu said in a video statement given in Hebrew earlier this week. Netanyahu was slamming a New York Times report quoting senior Israeli officials who claim some military brass want a cease-fire with Hamas.
Over the past nine months, 109 hostages have been released, seven have been rescued by the Israel Defense Forces, and the bodies of 19 have been recovered by the military from Gaza, including three who were mistakenly killed by troops, The Times of Israel reports.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Iranian-born Norwegian man gets 30 years for Oslo Pride shootings
Zaniar Matapour convicted on ‘terrorism’ and murder charges after attack that killed two people and wounded nine.
A court in Oslo has found an Iranian-born Norwegian man guilty of an attack during Pride celebrations in the Norwegian capital in 2022 and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
Two people were killed and nine were seriously wounded in the centre of Oslo, on June 25, 2022, in the shootings at three locations, including the London Pub, a hub of the local LGBTQ scene.
The Oslo District Court said on Thursday that Zaniar Matapour, 45, fired 10 rounds with a machinegun and eight shots with a handgun into the crowd.
“The attack undoubtedly targeted gay people,” the court said in its verdict. “The goal was both to kill as many gay people as possible and to instill fear in LGBTQ people more broadly.”
Prosecutors said Matapour, who police said has a history of mental illness, had sworn allegiance to the ISIS (ISIL) group.
He stood trial on charges of committing an “aggravated act of terrorism” and murder. His 30-year sentence was the highest penalty in Norway since terrorism legislation was changed in 2015.
During the trial, both the prosecution and the defence agreed that Matapour had shot into a crowd and there was no disagreement that the shooting was “terror-motivated”.
His prison term could be extended indefinitely if he is deemed to continue to pose a threat to society, according to Norwegian media reports.
However, Matapour’s lawyer, Marius Dietrichson, had sought an acquittal, saying his client had been provoked to carry out the attack by a Danish intelligence agent who was pretending to be a high-ranking member of ISIL.
The shooting shocked Norway, which has a relatively low crime rate but has experienced so-called lone wolf attacks in recent decades.
“This is a big relief,” the head of the support group for survivors and victims’ relatives, Espen Evjenth, told public broadcaster NRK.
The verdict comes days after the annual Oslo Pride Parade, which paid tribute to the victims of the shooting. An estimated 70,000 revellers marched in this year’s event.
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