It seems that they only work properly if JavaScript is enabled...

Because they are not actually links (as in `<a>` elements) but they are `<i>` elements (italics) that are formatted differently and also opens a new tab when you click on it.

But they are not common links, which is stupid. Hovering the "link" doesn't display the URL in the browser, right-clicking doesn't understand it's a link (because it's not), you can't open it in a new window as the creator of these "links" didn't consider that behavior (shift+click) and they are not accessible in the least.

TLDR: author re-implemented their own links, with more drawbacks than they could imagine

They are for me, chrome desktop.

Totally agree. Very annoying.