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First people sentenced under Hong Kong's tough new security law

HONG KONG – Two individuals have become the first to be sentenced under Hong Kong’s newly introduced national security law.

The first case involved 27-year-old Chu Kai-pong, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison for wearing a T-shirt with a protest slogan, while a second man, Chung Man-kit, received a 10-month sentence for writing pro-independence messages on bus seats.

Chu’s T-shirt bore the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” a phrase popularized during the 2019 anti-government protests.

The protests began in opposition to a controversial extradition bill and later expanded into a larger movement calling for democratic reforms and greater police accountability. Authorities have since deemed the slogan potentially promoting Hong Kong’s separation from China a serious offense under the new law.

Chu pleaded guilty to charges of carrying out acts with seditious intent. He was previously sentenced in January for a similar offense under an older colonial-era law, for which he served three months in jail. In the current case, Chief Magistrate Victor So noted that Chu’s use of the protest slogan on June 12, the anniversary of a significant 2019 protest, threatened social order by encouraging remembrance of the unrest. His repeated offenses suggested an unwillingness to reform, according to the court.

In the second case, Chung Man-kit was convicted of three counts of sedition after writing pro-independence messages on bus seats. The court ruled that his actions deliberately violated the new security law.

The national security law, enacted earlier this year, imposes harsher penalties for sedition, with offenders facing up to seven years in prison.

Human rights groups like Amnesty International have criticized the law, arguing that it stifles freedom of expression. However, the Beijing and Hong Kong governments maintain that the law is essential for preserving the city’s stability.

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