‘Liberate Hong Kong’ – first person found guilty under new laws

A court has found the first person ever to be guilty of committing a crime under Hong Kong’s new controversial national security laws

Tong Ying-Kit was charged with inciting succession and terrorism after he rode a motorbike whilst flying a flag that read “liberate Hong Kong, revolutionise our times”.

It comes as the total number of people charged under the laws now stands at 100 since they were enacted in 2019.

Tong’s defence lawyer has said it’s impossible to prove that Tong was inciting secession merely by having used the slogan.

The laws reduce the city-state’s independence from Beijing and make it easier to punish and penalise activists who are anti-China.

This guilty verdict for Tong means he could now face life in prison – with a sentence due in the coming months.

Authorities have banned the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” stating that it has secessionist connotations.

The trial ran over 15 days and the verdict was decided without a jury, over concerns the jurors’ safety would be put at risk given the sensitive political climate.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s last remaining pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, was forced out of business last month and a court denied bail for four editors and journalists held on charges of endangering national security as part of the widening crackdown.