The recent sentencing of democracy activists in Hong Kong has drawn widespread condemnation, including from European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who described the verdicts as a significant attack on human rights and democracy in the region. The sentences, which can be as long as ten years, relate to allegations of violating a 2020 security law by organizing unofficial primaries. The U.S., UK, and Taiwan have also voiced strong objections, arguing that these actions undermine the promises made to maintain freedoms in Hong Kong post-1997.