The United States has joined a growing list of governments expressing concerns over Hong Kong’s arrest and prosecution of 47 democracy advocates for subversion under national security laws.

“We condemn the detention of and charges filed against pan-democratic candidates in Hong Kong’s elections and call for their immediate release,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted on Monday. “Political participation and freedom of expression should not be crimes. The U.S. stands with the people of Hong Kong.”

The 47 defendants were on Monday morning taken to court for mention after spending one night in custody. The day before, police formally pressed charges against them for “conspiracy to commit subversion,” regarding their involvement in an informal primary poll last summer that was meant to narrow down the pro-democracy field of candidates ahead of a legislative election in September 2020, which was later postponed on pandemic grounds. The authorities are accusing the 47 of a scheme to cripple the government by seeking to secure a majority in the 70-strong legislature.

Blinken’s remarks came after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab of the United Kingdom described the prosecution as “deeply disturbing.” Raab tweeted on Sunday: “It shows in the starkest terms the NSL being used to eliminate political dissent rather than restore order — contrary to what the Chinese Government promised.”

The European Union voiced concerns on the same day, calling for the immediate release of those arrested. “The nature of these charges makes clear that legitimate political pluralism will no longer be tolerated in Hong Kong,” the E.U. Office in Hong Kong and Macao said in a statement.

In Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council said it deeply regretted the prosecution. Most would find it unacceptable that pro-democracy primaries, which had been allowed in the past, were now being interpreted as subversion of state power, the council said in a statement on Sunday.

The blatant crackdown by China’s Communist Party would only induce more resistance and hatred, and would not contribute to Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, it added.

U.K.-based human rights group Hong Kong Watch also weighed in, urging the global society to impose sanctions and review trade with China.

“Today marks the first time that almost every prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist is either in jail, exile, or on trial awaiting sentencing,” Benedict Rogers, chief executive of the group, said in a statement on its website.

The international community “must call for the immediate release of all those arrested under the national security law, push for the introduction of Magnitsky sanctions against the Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible, and ensure that it will never be business as usual with Beijing while it continues to dismantle Hong Kong’s autonomy,” he added.

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