Hong Kong court rejects appeal in landmark 'Hong Kong 47' subversion case

The activists are charged with conspiracy to commit subversion

Police stand guard outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts as twelve pro-democracy activists appeal their convictions and sentences in a landmark national security case, in Hong Kong, China, Feb 23, 2026. REUTERS/Jessie Pang

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal on Monday rejected an appeal by 12 pro‑democracy activists in a landmark national security case on a subversion conspiracy that critics say highlights the China-ruled city's crackdown on dissent in recent years.

The appeal stems from the "Hong Kong 47" democrats case, where many leading pro-democracy activists and politicians were arrested en masse in early 2021, and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion. Following marathon legal proceedings, most of the democrats were eventually sentenced in late 2024 to between 4 and 10 years imprisonment, with only two acquittals.