Sentencing of 10 HK detainees underscores rule of law
A local court in Shenzhen on Wednesday sentenced 10 Hong Kong detainees to imprisonment from seven months to three years for illegally crossing the border into the Chinese mainland and organizing the crime in August, after a two- day trial where the 10 suspects had pleaded guilty.
Two other suspects, under the age of 18, were returned to Hong Kong police on Wednesday.
The sentences are seen as accurate jurisdiction that falls into the range, which is also statutory punishment that fully underscores the principle of upholding the rule of law, experts said.
They said that the case has strictly abided by the legal process, which is demonstrated by the different handling of the two minors.
The sentencing is also believed to be “a thing that falls into place,” legal experts said, slamming some Western countries which have been shifting the focus by advocating that the convicts “were fleeing from political persecution.”
The court sentenced the two who organized the crime for three- year and two- year imprisonment, respectively, with fines of 20,000 yuan ($ 3,066) and 15,000 yuan. The rest were sentenced to seven months in jail.
Some Western media also made accusations that some relatives did not show up at the court hearing as the convicts wanted. But the Global Times learned that this was because the COVID- 19 epidemic is severe in Hong Kong. Relatives of the accused who wanted to attend the court hearing in Shenzhen have to go through strict quarantine measures, but some did not want to go through the process.
“The judges thoroughly considered the different circumstances of these detainees, issuing their judgment in line with the law which will also send a warning to the local legal system of Hong Kong when it deals with relevant cases,” said Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan studies at Nankai University.
“In spite of Western countries and politicians exerting pressure on China through the case, Chinese juridical authorities processed the case properly and legitimately, which also reflects the dignity of the Chinese rule of law,” Li said.