this is d.w. news live from berlin and hong kong court convicts 7 pro-democracy figures including media tycoon jimmy lie the group was found guilty of unauthorized assembly during the protests of 2019 will anyone in hong kong now dare to speak up for democracy we will ask activist in exile nathan long. europe's broken migration policy asylum seekers are spending years in holding camps in greece we asked a german parliament member how do you can fix the disaster out of store staff.

thank you. i'm sorry kelly welcome to the program. accorded hong kong has convicted 7 prominent pro-democracy activists and politicians for their role in anti-government protests 2019 sentencing of the group will take place at a later date but they could face up to 5 years in prison 2 other defendants have previously pleaded guilty. now those convicted on thursday include the man known as hong kong's father of democracy martin levy he is the 82 year old co-founder of the democratic party also 73 year old media tycoon jimmy lie he is one of the most outspoken critics of the current administration. and margaret own

a 73 year old barrister and a former lawmaker now these 3 that you are seeing on the wall here behind me are just the latest convictions in hong kong kong takes a look at the decades long democracy struggle which for some activists started in beijing a small flat in downtown hong kong weather woes only museum dedicated to the $89.00 tenement crackdown is no catered to minatory repression in beijing 32 years ago changed the course of many people in china and hong kong including leecher again i was there during the doing for the massacre and i was the pain propre days after my relieve pressure to hong kong i crashed and i would spend my life time in 5 people whom ocracy in china and so that those who think are 5 were not being very. streeter case on legion again is facing a difference fades critics see him on a massive track now being carried out by the chain this time harnessed mostly

liberal and democratic city hong kong in the wake of anti-government protest here 8 this was charged for organizing and attending and authorizes and that's really it was over a 1000000 people took part was one of the few without violent questions every one of the dependents are high profile figures apart from media tycoon she knew i or a former lawmaker is icons of the opposition movement like martin lee who is know this afternoon this issue of the charges carries a maximum 5 year choto right now but this case is just the tip of the iceberg with over 10000 i do suggest it. is the 1st verdict among the night charges for which he's on trial beijing's recently imposed reaping national 6 years in law and his overhaul of the city's electrodes system intensify the fear. denies hong kong

tenement morning vigil every year calling for an end to china's one party movement taking place and that they can make him a prime time get and beijing security this year you will likely be absent for the very 1st time in this era in a way they're going to go now i would convert my by saying that this is already. of a blessing for me that i would only have to go to jail after 40 years of activism in hong kong. but i'm ready to pay the price and ready for he said nothing witnessed hong kong decades long struggle the 64 year old activist is not optimistic but he believes that he success says will continue to fight for democracy and today finally reached a call. and for more on this let's bring in a large pro-democracy activist from hong kong and former stooge. leader joining us from london where he is in exile nathan thanks for joining us on the program today

you know those who have been convicted they are veterans of the pro-democracy movement what is your reaction to these verdicts and what do you think it means for them. so these cases just one of the case in such of mosses corruption. already because so this is a prominent being arrested under the national security law. 70 tons of stole my friends and. there's cultural revolt own comes out the prosecutor's money and this is definitely political persecution that they are being something that the christmas assemblies ok so you call it a political persecution as you mentioned this is just $1.00 of rather a few of several cases that are before the court system i'd like to ask you about the others that are as well for example the 47 pro-democracy politicians and activists who have been charged with a version under the new security law for participating in an election primary that

prosecutors say was part of a plan to subvert the government do you think they will also be convicted. well we have to understand the nature of the national security court the government can pick their judge there is no jury available and the government could choose to conduct the hearing with so any presence of the public so if you look into the condition of that and you look into the wilderness of the national security law which is written really effectively and that is literally a large room for interpretation of by the judge and by the courts so i think the possibility of them being kept that is actually quite high so i think this is another example of how to confront uses the national security law to watch some discipline force and the war should continue to pay attention to it given that

nathan put it into the big picture for us what does it mean for the pro-democracy movement what does it mean for the legal system. so for now that the pro-democracy movement has stepped into a lot types we're stepping into a winter storm that every one of us has to face it's. possible the boat tends to lie low but if someone is still persisting they will receive serious repercussion but i don't think that will kill all the determination of us fighting for democracy saying many of us have already been joe as see it as one of the cost that was to pay on the role struck oh so i think many of them actually have to mental preparation for that. call these all call on the national security law and people's freedom of expression and freedom of

association being all and i'll eat it so i think that is a sad reality of all these 7 convictions that we've seen today they come amid efforts by china to only allow patriots to be part of the legislature you know beijing in these probation lawmakers for their part they say that the pro-democracy camp has been disruptive on the streets disruptive in the legislature where things could no longer get done how do ringback you respond to that. the search for the more chrissy's completely legitimate. to settle while homeless had that back from the british government to the chinese government shall discover and promised home people we will gradually get our democracy and it should have happened. 5 to 10 yes ago so for now i think beijing has always been trying to. use these excuse to conceal the fact that they're broke

a promise became to national treaty and they deprive a whole compete go from there just in their rights and they're using legal persecution to silence us once again so it is important that the well understands that the rationale for the protest behind the home people and also. seeing these all these persecution as the another wave of humorous ally sion from china and try to hold them accountable thank you so much for joining us nathan la pro-democracy activists from hong kong on her student leader on this day were as we have mentioned a court in hong kong has convicted 7 prominent pro-democracy democracy activists nathan thank you for sharing your view. let's take a look at some other stories making news u.s. president joe biden has unveiled an infrastructure plan worth 2 trillion dollars spending package will help repair roads and bridges as well as improve the quality

of drinking water biden said that the plan will also create jobs and tackle the climate crisis. 4 people including a child have been killed in a shooting at an office building in orange county california 2 others including the suspect were wounded it's the 3rd deadly mass shooting in the united states in the last 2 weeks. in myanmar fires have engulfed 2 military owned shopping malls blazes broke out turn over i curfews put in place to control protesters against the military coup several people were arrested more than 500 people have died in delhi demonstrations since the army seized power. the united nations is warning of a humanitarian crisis in mozambique in the wake of a militant attack hundreds of people are still trying to flee the town of homa after the so-called islamic state gained control in the northern town last week.

europe has come under criticism renewed criticism over its treatment of migrants for years now thousands of asylum seekers have been living in inhumane conditions in greece 5 greek islands near the turkish coast have become known as hotspots or refugees live in overcrowded unsanitary conditions more than a 3rd are children mostly without access to education the e.u. says that turkey should take them in as part of a deal reached with 5 years ago but many experts say that deal is a human rights disaster due to back sanda reports now on the situation on the island of lesbos. a prominent guest at the news most notorious migration which of course. you commission. in a guarded convoy earlier this week journalists were given a rare opportunity to visit the nicer parts of the overcrowded facility scenes of women exercising in the spring sun starkly called these pictures from last winter

when residents had to hold on to their tents while the sea flooded their homes we need djoko from the democratic republic of congo p. tells us he has been here for 16 months we are living like animals without documents i've had my asylum interview already but haven't heard anything since this. feat we face. more than 13000 people are stuck in these hot spots in the north of gene islands as part of a system designed to help greece cope with high numbers of her regular arrivals as part of the e.u.'s 20 $6000.00 migration deal with turkey greek authorities with the e.u. support have to examine whether each person arriving here has a right to asylum those whose claims are rejected must return to turkey and as long as asylum seekers don't have an answer they can't leave the islands critics claim this model is simply not working so it creates a situation of deep injustice because people are kept in some cases for many years

in the home. and as we've seen the conditions. there are really not effective and if we look at the coats of order to report for instance they show that they are extremely expensive and not serving the original purposes of wrapping a decision on case. instead of setting up appropriate infrastructure to deal with asylum cases in a swift manner 5 years on from when the deal was signed authorities are operating emergency even you commissioner your own agrees this system has to change i don't want to have i would like to have proper a section facilities but people should not stay for long and then have a better. system we need to you p a nice migration issue and to stand by each other and not leave any member state or alone. d.-u. commission has proposed

a new approach to asylum under which asylum applications would be processed within days at the block's external borders but critics fear this might lead to a situation similar to a proceeding today hot spots all over again. in football in north macedonia have stunned germany 21 and a world cup 2022 qualifier in duisburg midfield star. scored the winning goal late in the 2nd half the result and sturm anees 18 match winning streak in world cup qualifiers it was also their final competitive game before this summer's european championship a kayaker in today has accomplished something that has never been done before i know sara solis from spain landed the 1st ever double kick flip over a waterfall he started with a 25 kilometer descent down aids you know we've all came to know before entering

lush forests event topped off by nailing the world's 1st double kickflip in a kayak and the spaniard nailed it. on that 1st tap it's. pretty impressive stuff and with that now you're up to date on t.w. news i'm sarah kelly in for lent thanks for watching. people have to say matters to us. that's why i listen to their stories. reporter every weekend on d w.