Hong Kong (AFP) - Hong Kong’s largest national security trial will draw to a close on Tuesday, with dozens of the city’s most prominent democracy campaigners set to be sentenced for subversion, a charge that can carry up to life imprisonment.

Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the financial hub in 2020, snuffing out months of massive, sometimes violent, pro-democracy protests.

Western countries and international rights groups have condemned the trial as evidence of Hong Kong’s increased authoritarianism.

The “Hong Kong 47” were arrested in 2021 after holding an unofficial election primary that aimed to improve pro-democracy parties’ chances of winning a majority in the city’s legislature.

Two of the 47 were acquitted in May, but on Tuesday, the rest will learn their sentences, many after more than 1,300 days in jail.

The sentencing is “a very important indicator to show the general public (the degree of) openness and inclusivity in our society”, Lee Yue-shun, one of those acquitted, told AFP on Tuesday as he waited outside court.

A friend of defendant Gordon Ng, named by prosecutors as one of five organisers, told AFP she had been suffering insomnia in the past few days.

“Gordon seemed nervous too,” the woman said about her visit to Ng in prison. “But… he kept telling us not to overthink.”

This case is the largest by number of defendants since the law was passed in mid-2020.

Another major national security trial will see a key development on Wednesday, when jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai testifies in his collusion trial.

The charges against Lai revolve around publications in his now-shuttered tabloid Apple Daily, which supported the pro-democracy protests and criticised Beijing’s leadership.

China and Hong Kong say the security law restored order following the 2019 protests, and have warned against “interference” from other countries.

- ‘Bearing witness’ -

At dawn on Tuesday, more than 200 people stood in the chilly drizzle outside the court where the sentencing will take place.

Some had been queuing since Saturday to nab a public seat.

Eric, an IT professional based in mainland China, spent a day of holiday waiting in line.

“I want to bear witness of how Hong Kong becomes mainland China,” Eric told AFP.

“In the future, cases like this may not be open to the public anymore.”

Jack, a law student, said he wanted to witness the sentencing because he found the judgment “was not particularly convincing”.

He said he was pessimistic that the sentencing would be lenient, but that even if it was, “people’s passion for political participation has dissipated in the face of restrictions”.

The aim of the election primary, which took place in July 2020, was to pick a cross-party shortlist of pro-democracy candidates to increase their electoral prospects.

If a majority was achieved, the plan was to force the government to meet the 2019 protesters’ demands – including universal suffrage – by threatening to indiscriminately veto the budget.

Three senior judges handpicked by the government to try security cases said the group would have caused a “constitutional crisis”.

- ‘No surprise, no shock’ -

The “principal offenders” face 10 years to life in jail.

Legal scholar Benny Tai has been named “the brain behind the project” by prosecutors.

Others singled out as “more radical” are the ex-leaders of the now-disbanded Civic Party Alvin Yeung and Jeremy Tam, young activist Owen Chow and former journalist Gwyneth Ho.

The oldest defendant is “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, the 68-year-old co-founder of the city’s last standing opposition party the League of Social Democrats.

His wife Chan Po-ying, the leader of the LSD, told AFP that Leung “does not have any special thoughts on the sentence” after visiting him on Monday.

“I feel rather calm too… I wish for no surprise and no shock,” Chan said.

Emilia Wong, girlfriend of rally organiser Ventus Lau, said Lau appeared more anxious in recent months.

They hadn’t discussed the potential sentence much because “it’s an unprecedented case”, she said.

“A long time ago, he said if the sentence is up to 10 years or 20 years, I should not wait for his release,” Wong told AFP.

“The (sentencing) day may be a significant milestone for the outside world but for me… I will just have to carry on with my normal life, visiting him and handling his matters.”