National security violators will be punished: CE

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday warned that anyone who intends to endanger national security will be punished in accordance with the law, after 45 opposition figures were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit subversion. In a statement, Lee said the court decision reflects the severity of the case. "The sentence shows the court confirmed that the offence of the defendants was extremely serious and they should be severely punished,” he said. The CE stressed Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, and offenders must be held accountable. “Those involved acted under the guise of democracy and freedom to subvert the political regime of the HKSAR… This case shows that anyone who intends to subvert state power and endanger national security will ultimately be punished in accordance with the law.” A government spokesman, meanwhile, called on foreign governments to stop interfering in SAR affairs. "The HKSAR government has noticed that the United States and some Western countries, anti-China organisations, anti-China politicians and foreign media have recently made malicious attacks and smears on various cases,” he said. “The HKSAR government has stated on many occasions that like all cases, this case was handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law.”