HONG KONG -- The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday said that it firmly supported Hong Kong's judiciary in sentencing the defendants convicted of "conspiracy to subvert the state power" in accordance with the law.

A spokesperson for the office said that the sentencing results demonstrated the authority of the national security law in Hong Kong and safeguarded the spirit of the rule of law in Hong Kong. Safeguarding national security according to law and severely punishing criminal acts that endanger national security are principles that apply to all countries and regions in the world.

The spokesperson said that the substantial factual evidence of this case and the judge's verdict fully demonstrated that under the guise of the so-called "democracy" and "human rights," Benny Tai and others organized the so-called "primary election," attempting to seize control of the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR and vote against the HKSAR government's budget and public expenditure proposals. They aimed to press for the dissolution of the LegCo and resignation of the chief executive, seriously interfering with, obstructing, and undermining the lawful performance of duties by the HKSAR's authorities.

The spokesperson said the actions of Benny Tai and others aimed to undermine, destroy, or overthrow the constitutional order of the HKSAR established by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the HKSAR Basic Law, subverting state power. These are very serious crimes endangering national security, which are felonies in any country or region and must be severely punished according to law.

The spokesperson said that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law. The essence of the rule of law is that laws must be followed, law enforcement must be strict, and violations must be prosecuted. After the sentencing, governments, politicians and anti-China media of a few countries ignored the spirit of the rule of law, held a hypocritical "double standard," and wantonly smeared the verdict.

The office strongly condemned the words and deeds that interfered with the law enforcement and judicial organs of Hong Kong in handling cases according to law and undermined the rule of law of the HKSAR.

The spokesperson pointed out that the conviction and sentencing of Benny Tai and others by Hong Kong's judiciary in accordance with the national security law and local laws reflected the seriousness of the crimes and aligned with the mainstream public opinion in Hong Kong, which demands the lawful punishment of criminals.

The spokesperson said that only with solid national security can Hong Kong enjoy long-term prosperity and stability. The office supports Hong Kong's judiciary in fearlessly fulfilling their duties, and works with the SAR to fully and accurately implement the national security law in Hong Kong and the safeguarding national security ordinance, thus jointly safeguarding prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.