HK dissidents face charges

HONG KONG, Feb 28: Dozens of Hong Kong dissidents were charged with subversion on Sunday in the largest use yet of Beijing's sweeping new national security law, as authorities seek to cripple the finance hub's democracy movement.
Police arrested 55 of the city's best-known pro-democracy campaigners in a series of dawn raids last month.
On Sunday, 47 were charged with one count each of "conspiracy to commit subversion" -- one of the new national security crimes -- with police saying the group would appear in court on Monday morning. Democracy supporters described the move as a body blow.
"Every prominent voice of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong now is either jailed, in exile, or charged for subversion of state power," activist Sophie Mak wrote on Twitter.    -AFP