HongKong

On Monday, the Hong Kong High Court heard the cases of five defendants who had earlier pleaded guilty to "conspiring to subvert state power." The case of the infamous "35-plus" political strategy in 2020, in which former political figues and secessionists Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Alvin Yeung Ngok-kid and Benny Tai Yiu-ting were involved, is the largest one of its kind since the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong took effect.

In the Hong Kong High Court on Monday, three former lawmakers including Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu told the court that they wish to be sentenced before the trial. 

The three former political figures were among the 29 secessionists that had earlier pleaded guilty in August to "conspiring to subvert state power" in the infamous "35-plus" political strategy in 2020, including former legal professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting and secessionist Joshua Wong Chi-fung. 

After their guilty plea, the case was handed over to the Hong Kong High Court for sentencing. The other 18 defendants, who had not pleaded guilty, will go on trial in the high court. 

Monday's hearing also looked at the cases of two others who plan to plead guilty, Joshua Wong and Tam Tak-chi. Both said they were "neutral" on when they should receive their sentences, according to Hong Kong media outlets. 

The case - the largest since the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong took effect - has great symbolic significance, as the guilty plea by over half of the defendants showed that the prosecution can present strong evidence and the defendants would be at a disadvantage if they continue to mount a defense, some legal experts said. 

The so-called 35-plus strategy for illegal primaries was suspected of violating two types of laws - Hong Kong's local electoral laws, as there is no such primary election in Hong Kong, and the NSL for Hong Kong, as the illegal primaries had aimed to paralyze the HKSAR government, cause a constitutional crisis and call for foreign sanctions, which all fall into the category of violating the NSL for Hong Kong, officials and experts said.