Hong Kong detains 47 activists on subversion charges

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police on Sunday detained 47 pro-democracy activists on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion under the sweeping national security law.

The former lawmakers and democracy advocates had been previously arrested in January but were released. They are currently detained again and will appear in court on Monday, police said in a statement.

They allegedly violated the new national security law that was imposed by Beijing for participating in unofficial election primaries for the semi-autonomous territory’s legislature last year.

The defendants include 39 men and eight women aged between 23 and 64, police said.