translated from Spanish: China sentenced 24-year-old Hong Kong waiter to 9 years in prison

A court handed down a total of nine years in prison for a Hong Kong waiter accused of “terrorism,” who became the first person convicted under china’s new national security law imposed on the former British colony. Tong Ying-kit, 24, was convicted on Tuesday of terrorism by crashing his motorcycle into three police officers, as well as inciting secession for carrying a flag with the slogan “Free Hong Kong, the revolution of our time”, the slogan of the massive pro-democracy demonstrations of 2019.The 15-day trial was held without a jury. , a change in the legal tradition of the financial center. The three magistrates were appointed by the local authorities to try crimes affecting national security. Their crimes were “serious” but “not the worst of their kind,” they said.

What happened? On July 1, the date on which the anniversary of the return of the former British colony to Chinese sovereignty is celebrated, the police had banned the protest march that is traditionally held on that date. Tong appeared on one of the avenues of the city center, in front of a strong police presence driving and crashing a motorbike in which he wore a black flag with the slogan that marked much of the demonstrations of 2019.From this is that prosecutors accused Tong of crashing his motorcycle into three policemen , further claiming that the slogan on the flag was pro-independence.What does the national security law say? The legislation punishes separatism, terrorism, subversion of state powers and collusion with foreign forces with up to life imprisonment.

Underneath each of these activities are some specific crimes. For example, damaging government buildings could be classified as “subversion,” a felony that could result in life in prison. This case is of key importance in determining how the new law, imposed by China last year following demonstrations that shaped much of 2019 in the autonomous enclave, should be interpreted. Since Tong’s arrest, 117 people have been arrested on charges under the National Security Law, of whom at least 64 have been charged.

Original source in Spanish

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