HONG KONG — Seven of Hong Kong’s leading veteran pro-democracy advocates were found guilty on Thursday of unauthorized assembly, as Beijing’s campaign to quash the city’s opposition ensnared some of its most senior and well-recognized figures. The prosecution of veteran pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong has been held up by their supporters as a severe assault on the freedom of speech and other civil liberties that once were core to the city’s identity. Hong Kong’s authorities have overseen an expansive crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the city was engulfed by antigovernment protests in 2019. More than 2,400 people have been charged as the authorities sought to quash the movement that had posed the greatest challenge to Beijing’s rule in decades. Critics of this view say the ruling Communist Party is only deflecting the true democratic aspirations of the Hong Kong people.

Source: International New York Times April 01, 2021 03:06 UTC