A protest in Hong Kong on October 15, 2019. -
Mark Schiefelbein / AP / SIPA
Ten Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, who tried to flee Hong Kong by boat to Taiwan, were sentenced Wednesday to terms of seven months to three years in prison, a mainland Chinese court said.
Six months after the adoption of a draconian national security law in Hong Kong, their trial illustrated Beijing's takeover of the former British colony, which became a semi-autonomous Chinese territory in 1997.
Twelve men, the youngest of whom was 16, were arrested at sea by the Chinese coast guard 70 km from Hong Kong on August 23, before being handed over to the police in Shenzhen (south) and detained.
Both the European Union and the United States demanded their immediate release.
The fugitives were trying to reach Taiwan, the rival island of mainland China.
They risked seven years of detention
Two of the men were sentenced to three and two years in prison for their role as "organizer in this illegal border crossing," said the court in Shenzhen, where they were on trial this week.
They faced up to seven years in detention.
Eight other men, simple passengers, were sentenced to seven months in prison for "illegal border crossing".
The maximum sentence was one year.
The ten men "admitted their guilt" during their trial, the court assured.
Two minors who were on board the boat must be handed over to Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday, police said in the former British colony.
No charges have been brought against them, the Yantian District Procuratorate in Shenzhen said on Wednesday.
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