In a sharp rebuke, China has asked the United States to stop interfering with its internal affairs and judicial sovereignty on Hong Kong-related issues, Chinese state media Xinhua reported.
In a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China is a country ruled by law and anyone who violates it must be punished.
The spokesperson remarks come after US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo reacted on the sentencing of 10 Hong Kongers who have been detained in China after they tried to flee to Taiwan.
Pompeo lambasted the Chinese Communist Party for the treatment to a group of 12 pro-democracy protestors who tried to flee Taiwan in wake of Beijing's imposition of the draconian National Security Law, called for China to immediately release the ten Hong Kong activists.
Out of 12, 10 individuals were sentenced from seven months to three years in prison by a Shenzhen court on Wednesday. The remaining two are underage passengers and were handed over to Hong Kong police, as reported by South China Morning Post.
"China is a country ruled by law and everyone should comply with the law. Anyone who violates the law must be punished," Hua said.
She said the Chinese judicial authorities handle cases according to law and the United States has no right to interfere, urging the US side to stop slandering and smearing China.
The European Union, Canada and the UK have expressed concerns over the fairness of the trial.
"Canada expresses deep concern over the secret trial involving the Shenzhen 12. We urge Chinese authorities to conduct trials in accordance with due process and judicial transparency in line with international Human Rights norms and standards," the Canadian Government's foreign policy handle wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, London said that the defendants were "tried in secret" and were denied access to lawyers of their choosing.
We are deeply concerned that members of the Shenzhen 12 were tried in secret today, having been given just three days' notice of their trial. Diplomats from Britain and a number of other countries, tried to attend the court proceedings but were denied entry, said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in a statement on Monday.
The European Union on Tuesday slammed Beijing for human rights violations against 10 political activists from Hong Kong who tried to escape to Taiwan, urging authorities to ensure a fair trial and called for an immediate release of the Shenzen 12.
( With inputs from ANI )
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