Aishwarya Rathore-
Published on: August 19, 2021, at 15:38 IST
Two Hong Kong activists pleaded guilty under the Territory’s National Security Law for being part of a group that campaigned for International sanctions against China.
On Thursday, democracy activist Andy Li and paralegal Chan Tsz-wah acknowledged “colluding with foreign forces to endanger China’s National Security.”
China enforced the National Security Law on Hong Kong last year following months of mass protests in 2019 against a proposed – and later scrapped – extradition law, which evolved into calls for democratic protection.
The Court heard that Li was instructed by Lai, a famous China critic who is in prison for illegal assembly charges and faces his own National Security Trial, to help lobby for sanctions against Hong Kong and China.
Li told the Court, “I agree to the facts and I would like to say sorry.”
Following his guilty plea, Prosecutors withdrew two other charges against him.
Authorities claim that Lai and a group of supporters broke the law by supporting International sanctions against China for its crackdown in Hong Kong.
Chan was also found guilty on Thursday and will be back in Court in January. Both men are on the verge of facing the end of their lives.
High Court Judge Alex Lee adjourned the Court until January 3, 2022.