As it happened: Hong Kong 47 – 14 found guilty of subversion and 2 acquitted under national security law over election plot to overthrow government

A Hong Kong court has handed down guilty verdicts to 14 of 16 opposition figures who contested their subversion charges in a landmark national security case.

Among those found guilty on Thursday over their roles in an unofficial Legislative Council “primary” in 2020 that authorities deemed subversive were former Democratic Party lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting and Helena Wong Pik-wan, and ex-district councillors Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying and Kalvin Ho Kai-ming.

Barrister Lawrence Lau Wai-chung and Lee Yue-shun – both also formerly district councillors – were found not guilty, becoming the first to be acquitted under the national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong four years ago in response to the months-long social unrest that rocked the city in 2019.

The remaining 31 of 47 opposition figures in the case pleaded guilty before the start of the 118-day trial, which is the biggest prosecution under the law to date.

The judges found that the aim of the unofficial primary election was to maximise the opposition’s chances of seizing control of Legco as part of a plot to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” the government.

Follow the Post’s live coverage of the biggest national security trial in Hong Kong to date.

Key points:

• Court finds 14 of 16 opposition politicians who contested their charges guilty

• Government will appeal against acquittal of barrister Lawrence Lau Wai-chung and former Civic Party member Lee Yue-shun

• Judges find unofficial primary to be part of plot to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” government

• Court to hear mitigation from those convicted on June 25

• Police welcome the verdict, say plot was meant to paralyse government

Reporting by Brian Wong, Edith Lin, Harvey Kong, Kahon Chan, Jeffie Lam, Lilian Cheng and Connor Mycroft.