February 18, 2025

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Equality opinion

Hong Kong: 1st person billed underneath national security legislation discovered responsible on two rates

Tong Ying-kit, 24, was uncovered guilty of terrorism for crashing his motorbike into a team of police officers last calendar year, injuring three. He was also located responsible of a next demand, incitement to dedicate secession, for carrying a massive black banner emblazoned with the well-liked anti-government protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our moments.”

A 3 choose panel picked by Hong Kong’s chief dominated that Tong’s steps constituted a “deliberate challenge in opposition to the police” and were being meant to lead to “great damage to modern society.”

As the initially demo beneath the new legislation, which was promulgated by Beijing on June 30 past year, Tong’s situation is extensively found as a litmus exam for how the regulation will be executed and interpreted in courtroom in the coming months.

A great deal of the case had hinged on the judge’s interpretation of the protest flag Tong was carrying. Throughout the 15 working day trial, the prosecution and defense argued around the semantics, historical past and context of the flag’s slogan — a widespread rallying get in touch with for the duration of the months-extensive professional-democracy, anti-government protests of 2019 — with numerous qualified witnesses weighing in.

The prosecution pointed to Malcolm X and the Cultural Revolution as illustrations in their argument, top the judges to ban a quantity of issues owing to deficiency of relevance.

On Tuesday, the judges manufactured very clear the slogan was “intended to connect secessionist which means” and was “capable of inciting many others to commit secession,” possibly laying the groundwork for foreseeable future convictions related to the formerly mass protest motion.

As the judges declared the verdict, Tong showed small reaction. He afterwards waved a hand at supporters in the general public gallery when they shouted encouragement as he still left court.

Police officers set up barriers ahead of Tong Ying-kit's arrival in court in Hong Kong on July 27.

His sentencing is scheduled for Thursday. Below the nationwide safety legislation, which criminalizes functions of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with international forces, Tong faces a most sentence of existence in jail.

As of Monday, law enforcement have arrested 138 folks and charged 76 underneath the law. People arrested involve pupils, activists, previous lawmakers, journalists, and legal professionals. 3 firms have also been billed.

The Hong Kong governing administration has continuously denied that the law’s imprecise parameters have been utilized to censor no cost speech or stifle political dissent. Carrie Lam, the city’s leader, has defended the regulation as a “vital action to ending the chaos and violence” of the 2019 protest motion and ensuring “long-time period security and prosperity in Hong Kong.”

One year after Hong Kong's national security law, residents feel Beijing's tightening grip

Tong had pleaded not responsible to all expenses, which stemmed from an incident on July 1, 2020, just a single day right after the law was enacted. He was denied bail and his demo held without a jury, in a substantial departure from the popular legislation traditions that Hong Kong’s authorized system had beforehand followed.

As a former British colony, Hong Kong’s lawful technique is heavily influenced by British widespread law, and has relied on demo by jury all through its history. But under the protection regulation, Beijing can get around countrywide stability situations in particular situations — and if it includes “point out techniques or general public get,” it can mandate a shut-doorway trial with no jury.

To critics of the legislation, Tong’s conviction presents even further proof of Beijing’s tightening grip over the semi autonomous territory.

“This is a political exhibit trial,” mentioned Nathan Law, a previous Hong Kong lawmaker and outstanding professional-democracy activist who fled the city and has been granted asylum in the United Kingdom. “The govt handpicked the judges so that the outcome of the trials can best serve the political fascination of the government.”

Regulation included that the judicial method in Hong Kong had been “weaponized to suppress,” and that the city’s “ideal to cost-free expression is (now) seriously curtailed.”