HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong police on Sunday arrested 47 pro-democracy activists accused of conspiracy to commit subversion under the city’s national security law, in the largest mass charge against the territory’s opposition camp semi-autonomous Chinese since the law came into effect last June.
Former lawmakers and democracy advocates had previously been arrested in a powerful police operation in January, but were released. They have been arrested again and will appear in court on Monday, police said in a statement.
They allegedly violated the national security law imposed by Beijing to run in the unofficial election primaries of the Hong Kong legislature last year.
Among the accused are 39 men and eight women between the ages of 23 and 64, according to police.
The move is part of an ongoing crackdown on the city’s democratic movement, with a series of arrests and trials against Hong Kong’s democracy advocates, including outspoken activists Joshua Wong and Jimmy Lai, after months of protests. anti-government in 2019.
The pro-democracy camp had held primaries to determine the best candidates to run for a majority in the legislature and planned to vote on major bills that would eventually force Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to resign.
In January, 55 activists and former lawmakers were arrested for their roles in the primaries.
Authorities said the participation of activists was part of a plan to paralyze the city’s legislature and subvert state power.
Legislative elections that would have followed the unofficial primaries were postponed for a year by Lam, who cited public health risks during the coronavirus pandemic. The massive resignations and disqualifications of pro-democracy lawmakers have left the legislature largely a pro-Beijing body.
Among those arrested on Sunday was former delegate Eddie Chu. A post on his official Twitter account confirmed that he was accused of conspiracy to subversion and that he was denied bail.
“Thank you to the people of Hong Kong for giving me the opportunity to contribute to society over the past 15 years,” Chu said in a post on his Facebook page.
Another primary candidate, Winnie Yu, was also charged and will appear in court on Monday, according to a post on his official Facebook page.
U.S. lawyer John Clancey, a member of the now-defunct political rights group “Power for Democracy” who was arrested in January for his participation in the primaries, was not one of those arrested Sunday.
“I will give full support to those who have been charged and will be prosecuted, because from my perspective they have done nothing wrong,” Clancey told reporters.
The security law criminalizes acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers to intervene in Hong Kong affairs. Serious offenders could receive a maximum life sentence. About 100 people have been arrested since the law was implemented.