Hong Kong: First person charged under national security law sentenced to nine years
The first person to be charged under Hong Kong’s national security law has been sentenced to nine years in prison.
Tong Ying-Kit was arrested following a pro-democracy protest in the city last July in which he rode a motorbike into three police officers flying a flag with the phrase “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”.
Ying-Kint, 24, was found guilty of inciting secession and terrorism on Tuesday, after a 15-day trial with no jury.
The judge ruled that the phrase on his flag was capable of inciting others to commit “secession” and found him guilty.
His defence team had pushed for a jury, however, Hong Kong’s justice secretary cautioned that the safety of the jurors’ would be put at risk due to the city’s delicate political climate.
More than 100 people have been arrested since the law came into force in 2020.
Just yesterday, Chinese billionaire and prominent figure on the mainland, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in China.
Pig farming mogul Sun Dawu had publicly supported prominent human rights lawyers and dissidents by paying their legal costs.
Beijing has urged that the controversial national security law which was imposed last year following mass protests, is needed ease growing tensions in the former British colony.