What’s going on in Hong Kong’s courts? | Courts News

Thousands of people in Hong Kong are facing court action for taking part in 2019’s mass protests, which grew out of opposition to a mainland extradition bill into wider calls for democracy.

While some are well-known names from the city’s political opposition, many others are common citizens who decided to join the months-long demonstrations.

More than 10,000 people have been arrested in the past three years for their alleged involvement in the protests, government criticism and pro-democracy political activities, according to Hong Kong government data. Of those facing charges, the vast majority are people below the age of 30, although they also include some of the city’s veteran opposition leaders.

On Friday, two teenagers were sentenced to five and a half years in prison each for rioting, after being cleared of an earlier charge of manslaughter over the death of a 70-year-old man who was hit in the head by a brick thrown in a confrontation between rival groups of protesters.

With the territory’s vibrant tradition of civil disobedience, Hong Kong people were not unfamiliar with the risk of arrest, but infractions that were once considered minor offences are now ending up in jail time.

Many of the city’s pro-democracy politicians have been arrested under national security legislation that was imposed by Beijing in 2020, and have been languishing in jail for months in pre-trial detention.

Based on British common law, Hong Kong’s justice system was once regarded as one of the most independent and robust in Asia, but has been thrust into the spotlight since the national security law was put in place.

Foreign judges have left the city, as well as rank and file lawyers, while US lawmakers may soon sanction Hong Kong prosecutors for offences like “arbitrary detention of individuals for exercising universally recognised human rights”.

Chinese “mainland-style criminal justice” and “lawfare” tactics have found their way into Hong Kong, said William Nee, research and advocacy coordinator at Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

“The volume of cases is part of it, and part of it is the lengthy legal process that people face – and we’re only two years into it,” he told Al Jazeera. “We predict it could go on for many, many years where people are unable to travel, unable to leave Hong Kong, unable to speak to the media, and unable to participate in public life,” he said.

Who are on trial and why

More than 1,000 trials are under way and more are due to commence in 2023, according to data compiled by the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), a US-based advocacy group.

While there are different ways to count the data, the advocacy group estimates that Hong Kong is now home to 432 “political prisoners” – people arrested for their political beliefs or actions – who have completed sentences, with 582 people still in custody or awaiting trial.

Many of the arrests over the past three years are linked to the 2019 protests, although not all.

Common charges related to the protests include participating in an unlawful assembly and rioting, while those accused of being…