Hong Kong Jails Activist for 9 Years in First Security Trial
- Court says the sentence is intended to have ‘deterrent effect’
- Some 76 others heading to trial under the same legislation
Tong Ying-Kit arrives at court, after being accused of deliberately driving his motorcycle into a group of police officers, in Hong Kong on July 6.
Source: Getty ImagesA Hong Kong court sentenced the first person convicted under a Beijing-drafted national security law to nine years in prison, a ruling that illustrates the high stakes facing dozens of pro-democracy activists awaiting similar trials.
Tong Ying-kit, a waiter, faced as long as life in prison after being found guilty of incitement to secession and engaging in terrorist activities earlier this week. The convictions stem from an incident last year when Tong drove a motorcycle carrying a flag with the banned slogan “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” into a group of police officers, injuring three.