Forty-five people on Tuesday were sentenced from four years and two months to 10 years in prison for subversion in the city's largest national security trial to date. Thirty-one of them pleaded guilty and 14 others were convicted earlier. They had been charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in relation to an unofficial legislative primary election in 2020. Benny Tai, a former legal academic and one of the organisers of the poll, was jailed for 10 years by the High Court. Four other organisers -- former lawmaker Au Nok-hin, ex-district councillors Andrew Chiu and Ben Chung, as well as businessman Gordon Ng -- were given jail terms ranging from six years and one month to seven years and three months each. Of the other defendants who participated in the conspiracy, Owen Chow, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to seven years and nine months. The rest were given jail terms ranging from four years and two months to six years and nine months each. Two of the 47 defendants were acquitted earlier. The court heard that the conspiracy in this case was aimed at undermining or overthrowing the political system and structure of the Hong Kong SAR, which is established under the Basic Law and the principle of One Country, Two Systems.
