In the first trial under the tough national security law imposed by China, a Hong Kong court convicted a protester of terrorism and inciting secession on Tuesday, a ruling that sets new limits on dissent and raises the risks of challenging Beijing. The protester, Tong Ying-kit, was arrested last year on July 1, after he drove his motorcycle around a Hong Kong neighborhood with a protest banner, then collided with police officers who tried to stop him, injuring three. Under the security law, which went into effect hours before his arrest, Mr. Tong could be sentenced to life in prison. The trial was regarded as a test of how the city’s traditionally independent courts would enforce the security law while upholding the city’s much cherished civil liberties. In convicting Mr. Tong, the court showed the extent to which the new law would criminalize political speech.

Source: New York Times July 27, 2021 07:11 UTC