WASHINGTON—U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) joined a group of pro-democracy Hong Kong activists to decry the sentencing of 45 political prisoners, imposed under the special administrative region’s draconian Article 23 that is based on China’s national security law.

“We are outraged about what [Chinese communist leader] Xi Jinping and his cronies are doing with the great people of Hong Kong, who are suffering on their dictatorship,” Smith said at a Nov. 19 press conference outside the Capitol building.

The sentences, imposed on Nov. 19, were the culmination of arrests made in 2020 after citizens of Hong Kong held democratic primary elections in defiance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Legal scholar Benny Tai, dubbed an “organizer” of the advocates, received the lengthiest sentence of 10 years for “conspiring to commit subversion.”

Of the 47 Hongkongers initially arrested, two were found not guilty, 14 pleaded not guilty but were convicted, and another 31 pleaded guilty.

The lawmakers were joined by pro-democracy advocates—some of whom are exiled from Hong Kong—including Frances Hui of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, Anna Kwok and Carmen Lau of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, and Sunny Cheung, a nominee in the 2020 Hong Kong primary elections.

Cheung said that the courage of the prisoners, as well as that of hundreds of others persecuted by the CCP, showed that “the spirit of freedom cannot be extinguished.”

“Optimism is not compulsory; it is necessary. Without it, we are already defeated. Without it, we cannot win,” Cheung said.

Hui closed the gathering by reading the names—and displaying pictures—of the Hong Kong judges and prosecutors who tried the case.

Sunny Cheung, a nominee of the 2020 pro-democracy camp primary, speaks during a press conference at House Triangle on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 19, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

During his remarks, Smith called for the passage of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act, which would decertify Hong Kong-based entities pushing CCP propaganda in the United States.

Smith, who is chair of the Congressional–Executive Commission on China, introduced the legislation in the House, where it passed 413–3 in September. It has yet to be taken up for a vote by the Senate.

“There’s time, pass it. Just do it. I’m tired of hearing from people: ‘Oh, it can’t be done. We don’t have the ability or the bandwidth to do it.’ The Senate needs to take that up right now. And I’m tired of the delay,” Smith said.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) speaks during a press conference about Hong Kong at House Triangle on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 19, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Pelosi also asserted that if the United States failed to denounce the actions taken by the Hong Kong government because of economic interests, it would “lose all moral authority to speak out against human rights violations in the world.”

In response to the sentencings, the U.S. State Department announced on Nov. 19 that it will issue sanctions on some Hong Kong officials.

“We call on Hong Kong authorities to immediately and unconditionally release these 45 individuals and similarly detained political prisoners,” spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement.

“These harsh sentences erode confidence in Hong Kong’s judicial system and harm the city’s international reputation.”

Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.