Human rights groups condemn Hong Kong's latest sedition conviction

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for sedition after wearing a T-shirt featuring a protest slogan.

This marks the first prison term under Hong Kong's new national security law, enacted in March. The legislation, known as Article 23, extends the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. Critics worry that it could further undermine civil liberties, while authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing defend it as essential for maintaining stability, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The individual, 27-year-old Chu Kai-pong, was arrested in June for wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" at a subway station. He also wore a mask with the initials "FDNOL," referring to the protest slogan "Five demands, not one less." Both phrases were prominent during the anti-government protests of 2019.

Reports indicated Chu was carrying a box containing his own excrement, allegedly intended to use against people opposing his views. Chu was arrested on 12 June, a significant date marking a major protest anniversary in Hong Kong. He admitted in court that his intent was to remind the public of the 2019 protests. He had previously served three months in jail for a similar offense. 

During Thursday's ruling, Chief Magistrate Victor So, appointed by the government to handle national security cases, stated that Chu’s actions aimed to "reignite the ideas behind" the 2019 protests. He also noted Chu's lack of remorse following his prior conviction and emphasized the gravity of the sedition charge. Human rights groups have condemned the sentencing, with Amnesty International calling it a "blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression."

The ruling follows a significant sedition case last month in which two journalists from the pro-democracy newspaper Stand News were found guilty, marking a first for media-related sedition charges since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997.

By Naila Huseynova