Hong Kong court grants bail to 15 of 47 pro-democracy activists

March 4, 2021 The 47 defendants were charged on Sunday with subversion under the new national security law, which Beijing enacted unilaterally last summer. The case marks a sweeping escalation in the application of the law, which Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had previously said would be limited in effect and only target a small number of fringe activists. In granting bail, chief magistrate Victor So said the defendants must not publish any speeches or commit any acts on any platforms that may reasonably be deemed as endangering national security. The 15 defendants are also not allowed to take part…