live from singapore, this is bbc news. all 45 hong kong pro—democracy campaigners are jailed in the city's largest security trial — with sentences of up to 10 years. russia issues a strong warning to the us —vowing an "appropriate response" if ukraine uses american long range missiles to strike its territory. a convoy of more than 100 aid trucks is looted in gaza — according to the un agency for palestinian refugees and thousands rally in new zealand 5 capital over a bill that threatens to overhaul the country s founding document with the maori people. welcome to newsday,

i'm katie silver. we begin with some breaking news — all 45 hong kong pro—democracy campaigners have been jailed in the city's largest security trial — with sentences ranging from four to 10 years. the prominent pro—democracy activistjoshua wong has been sentenced to 56 months in prison for subversion. the lawyer, benny tai, has received 10 years — also for subversion. it marks the end of one of the biggest trials since beijing imposed a national security law on the territory to stifle dissent. the 45 were arrested after organising a vote to choose candidates for elections. let's cross live to our reporter martin yip in hong kong. thank you forjoining me. can you give us a reminder of the background of the case and how it began? 50 background of the case and how it bean? ., , ., , it began? so the whole primary election at _ it began? so the whole primary election at the _ it began? so the whole primary election at the centre _ it began? so the whole primary election at the centre of - it began? so the whole primary election at the centre of the -

election at the centre of the trial was about an effort by the pro—democracy camp back in 2020 to elect the best candidate they have all the legislative council election which was being delayed citing coronavirus is a reason. the intention was that because of the 2019 pro—democracy anti—government protest that was just prior to this whole primary campaign that they had the intention to take some sort of veto power against government policies by trying to get as many candidates in to the legislator as possible so they impose the hong kong national security law injune 2020 and the activist went ahead with the primary about a week later and the government in hong kong and beijing said it would be in violation of this hong kong national

security law under the claws of subversion and so that was the case. people were arrested in early 2021 and many of them had been detained ever since until today where they receive their sentence and that is some three years and eight months we've been talking about this. can ou cive been talking about this. can you give us _ been talking about this. can you give us an _ been talking about this. can you give us an idea about some of the sentences. we are hearing up to ten years including one for the prominent activistjoshua wong. macri at the lowest sentence handed out was four years and two months and then the highest was ten years for the progressive turned activist scene is the key organiser of the primary election. y w . key organiser of the primary election. g ., . ., .,, key organiser of the primary election. g ., . ., ., election. joshua wong has got 36 months. — election. joshua wong has got 36 months, and _ election. joshua wong has got 36 months, and for _ election. joshua wong has got 36 months, and for years - election. joshua wong has got 36 months, and for years and | 36 months, and for years and eight months include —— other names include gywenth ho, a journalist turned activist who

received seven years of imprisonment —— gywneth ho. anotherjournalist and imprisonment —— gywneth ho. another journalist and former activist has received four years and two months and these are prominent names of the pro—democracy camp in hong kong and now they are all being imprisoned.— and now they are all being imrisoned. ., ~ , ., imprisoned. martin, thank you for our imprisoned. martin, thank you for your reporting. _ imprisoned. martin, thank you for your reporting. i _ imprisoned. martin, thank you for your reporting. i am - imprisoned. martin, thank you for your reporting. i am joined j for your reporting. i am joined ijy for your reporting. i am joined by the former chair of the democratic party of hong kong. emily, thank you forjoining me. first can i get your reaction and what you make of the sentences announced today? well, i was not able to get into the courtroom because there were too many people waiting and we couldn't get in and of course we are very devastated and feel very sad for their families and loved ones and what have they done? they just took part ones and what have they done? theyjust took part in a primary election which have happened in hong kong for many years and in other places so i think many of them will not understand why they have to

spend so many years in prison forjust taking part in that. you mentioned you could not get in and there were lots of people there. have the sentences been long—awaited in the city and what have people said and are they making them? of course people are very disappointed and angry and i think thejudiciary should disappointed and angry and i think the judiciary should know that there is a lot of interest and they should try to facilitate that instead of making people wait up, as some have waited four days and could not get in. anyway we are very, very distressed by the signal has been sent out. some people are going to spend many more years in prison. some, view, may be released next year but the question is, what have they done? has anybody been injured? any property broken or whatever? no, it's all peaceful. it's a primary

election, so it's very, very sad and ijust hope their families and their friends in prison will find strength to carry on and here, we in hong we will continue under one country, two systems which beijing promised to fight for liberty, personal safety and the rule of law but of course the rule of law but of course the space is diminishing. i thought today maybe they wanted to turn the page and show hong kong and the international community that we are back to normality under one country in two systems people can be free and safe and under the rule of law but we are very, very disappointed.— law but we are very, very disappointed. law but we are very, very disa ointed. ~ ., ., ,, ~ disappointed. what do you think this will mean _ disappointed. what do you think this will mean for _ disappointed. what do you think this will mean for the _ disappointed. what do you think this will mean for the future - this will mean for the future of opposition movements in order to have the sorts of primary elections and those sorts of things? do you see sentences like this is likely to impact others who might

potentially want to get into politics in hong kong? {131 politics in hong kong? of course it— politics in hong kong? of course it would be selling out a very disturbing signal but not to my party. my party has not to my party. my party has not disbanded for the people he wanted us to disband and as you might have found out recently, we could not even organise a dinner party for members and friends, and that is how stressful things are. but we are still here and i'm still talking to you. so the fight will go on, but in a peaceful and legal way.— will go on, but in a peaceful and legal way. and legalway. you are indeed. thank you _ and legalway. you are indeed. thank you for— and legalway. you are indeed. thank you for speaking - and legalway. you are indeed. thank you for speaking to - and legalway. you are indeed. thank you for speaking to us, | thank you for speaking to us, the former chair of the democratic party of hong kong. iamjoined by i am joined by an activist and lawyer who was a legislator with the hong kong democratic party who now lives in south exile in australia. thank you forjoining me, ted. can i get your reaction to the sentences? my your reaction to the sentences? my reaction, my heart is

broken, of course, seeing many of my friends and my comrades being sent to jailfor of my friends and my comrades being sent to jail for many years so even though today's sentences handed out are not at the maximum, but we are talking about between four and ten years in prison for non—violent acts and this is still very absurd and unacceptable and unimaginable to myself and many hong kongers and it's an historic turning point of the hong kong judiciary and democracy turning from traditional independence, turning from freedom and democracy, so it marks the fall of hong kong totally. you democracy, so it marks the fall of hong kong totally.— of hong kong totally. you are operating _ of hong kong totally. you are operating in _ of hong kong totally. you are operating in self— of hong kong totally. you are operating in self exile - of hong kong totally. you are operating in self exile and - of hong kong totally. you are operating in self exile and i l operating in self exile and i read on your twitter that you left hong kong with a heavy heart. why did you feel the need to leave and what is it

like for you watching this from australia? i like for you watching this from australia?— australia? i was already charged _ australia? i was already charged for _ australia? i was already charged for my - australia? i was already - charged for my participation in three cases involving my participation in the street protests and my defiance in the parliament and at the time i was still a parliamentarian but i did not expect these 47 cases coming. i wasjust lucky, i did not expect these 47 cases coming. iwasjust lucky, so i did not expect these 47 cases coming. i wasjust lucky, so if i stayed in hong kong is a high—profile politician, i would be arrested and prosecuted and thrown in jail for many years just like what has happened to my comrades today, so the reason i had to leave is that my personal safety was compromised already and any moment of my presence

in hong kong could be my last freedom in my life, so i think that in mind, i know this allows me to continue to speak for hong kong's freedom and democracy and in my advocacy work from overseas. you mention the fears of _ work from overseas. you mention the fears of safety _ work from overseas. you mention the fears of safety and _ work from overseas. you mention the fears of safety and no - the fears of safety and no doubt many activist still in hong kong don't feel they can speak as freely as —— freely as they might like and on the record. what are you hearing from them? {iii record. what are you hearing from them?— record. what are you hearing from them? of course they are not. from them? of course they are not- after _ from them? of course they are not. after the _ from them? of course they are not. after the 2019 _ from them? of course they are not. after the 2019 protests i not. after the 2019 protests after the forced introduction of draconian national security laws, no one is free and hong kong. there is no free elections at all and not to mentionjoining a primary, not to mentionjoining politics as politicians, it's not a pathway to gain political power, and

it's not a way to voice what you want and things like freedom and democracy in hong kong are rubbish from the regime point of view. it seems to be not allowed. you simply have to be silent, so there will not be any more protests any more or criticism over the internet or social media, they are not allowed because of the draconian laws and people are so frightened that one day they will be like the 47 thrown in jail and the will be like the 47 thrown in jailand the a7, will be like the 47 thrown in jail and the a7, many will be like the a7 thrown in jail and the a7, many of them, the majority of them never imagined they would be injail just for criticising government and just for being descent. ted, thank you for coming on and sharing your story with us. several students have been

injured in china after a car crashed outside it primary school in hoon and province. it is unclear if the crash was deliberate. video circulating on chinese social media the match the images of the score online show the aftermath of the crash with children running in panic and several lying injured on the ground. the kremlin is vowing what it's calling a "tangible response" afterjoe biden gave ukraine permission to fire us—provided missiles into russian territory. at a press conference on monday, russia's foreign ministry spokesperson, maria zakharova, told reporters "kiev s use of long—range missiles to attack our territory would mean a direct involvement of the united states and its satellites in military operations against russiaas well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict". the kremlin has been warning against the move for months. vladimir putin has said russia could retaliate by arming the us's enemies.

0ur russia editor steve rosenberg, has this analysis. a few weeks ago i sat down for an interview with aleksandr lukashenko, the leader of belarus, and he brought up the subject, and used as an example the iranian backed houthis rebels, saying be careful of the question of long—range missiles, he said what would happen if the houthis came to vladimir putin and asked for missiles, missile systems that could be used to target aircraft carriers? he said as an example. so he seemed to confirm that this idea was on the kremlin's radar as one way of reacting to europe or america deciding to remove restrictions on the use of these long—range missiles. we have not heard anything like that in the last few days from vladimir putin, but his press secretary today did refer everybody back to his comments back injune, and that is when vladimir putin, as he sat down with media chiefs, came up with the idea of arming western adversaries.

it is possible that could happen, but he also knows that in a few months�* time, donald trump is coming back to the white house. there's been a mixed reaction from the rest of the world. the british prime minister refused to comment, saying doing so would only benefit russia. french president emmanuel macron, hailed the change in policy, calling it a long awaited decision. the german foreign minister — annalena baerbock — also welcomed the move. hungary�* foreign minister called the move "astonishingly dangerous". the country's prime minister, viktor 0rban, is close with vladimir putin. and at a meeting of the un security council to mark the thousandth day of the conflict — the us's envoy, linda thomas—greenfield, pledged more security assistance to ukraine in the coming days. for more on what comes next

i spoke to melinda haring, nonresident senior fellow at the atlantic councils eurasia center. what they left out is the us has provided intelligence support since 1531 00:15:30,505 -->