A Hong Kong court on Tuesday jailed all 45 defendants convicted of subversion in the city's largest national security trial, with "mastermind" Benny Tai receiving the longest term of 10 years.

A court in Hong Kong sentenced dozens of leading figures in its pro-democracy movement to lengthy prison sentences on Tuesday, the culmination of a landmark mass trial which the city’s government has used to crush opposition to China.

The defendants were accused of conspiracy to commit subversion after holding an unofficial primary election in Hong Kong in 2020 - a year after up to two million people took to the streets in opposition to a proposed extradition bill.