HONG KONG -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Thursday that it firmly supports Hong Kong's judicial organs in sentencing the defendants convicted of "conspiracy to subvert the state power" in accordance with the law.

Criminals led by Benny Tai Yiu-ting organized the so-called "primary election" under the guise of so-called "democracy" and "human rights" in an attempt to seize half of the total membership of the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR and vote against the HKSAR government's budget and public expenditure proposals, said a spokesperson for the office.

They aimed to press for the dissolution of the LegCo and the resignation of the chief executive of the HKSAR so as to paralyze the HKSAR government and subvert the state power. These are felonies in any country or region and must be severely punished according to law, said the spokesperson.

External forces spearheaded by the United States attempted to exert influence on the verdict during the judicial process in the case and wantonly slandered the rule of law in Hong Kong regardless of facts and laws, which the office firmly opposes and strongly denounces, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that any plot to disrupt the judiciary of the HKSAR and sabotage the rule of law is doomed to failure.