Tong Ying-kit was convicted of inciting secession and terrorism after he was accused last July of driving a motorcycle into a group of police officers while carrying a flag that read “Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our time”.
He was not convicted of the actual driving.
He denied criminal guilt after the indictment. Today came the verdict which concludes that Tong has been found guilty. He is now risking his life in prison. According to Chinese authorities, the verdict will come at a later date.
The trial against Tong Ying-kit took place without a jury, which is a violation of previous case law in Hong Kong. National security cases can go without a jury if it is considered that state secrets must be protected or that foreign forces are involved.
Reporter for BBC, Grace Tsoi, was present in the courtroom when the verdict was handed down. She says that the room was full of journalists and the audience. It was completely quiet when the verdict was announced. The Tong Ying kit itself seemed calm and waved to its supporters before being led out of the hall.
Press from all over the world have followed the case against the activist Tong Ying-kit.
Photo: Vincent Yu / AP
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Test for freedom of speech
The three judges who led the trial against the former waiter were according to The Guardian hand-picked by Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam. Lam sa i May 2020 that a new national security law would not restrict the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of the region.
The controversial security law for Hong Kong was introduced last summer. China has insisted that there was a need to restore stability after the huge demonstrations in 2019, but stated that the law would only target a minority of extremists.
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According to the UN, more than 100 people have been arrested after being charged with violating the Security Act.
The case against the Tong Ying kit has been seen as a test of the limit of freedom of expression in the former British colony. Defendants argued that the slogan Tong Ying kit used was everywhere during the mass protests in Hong Kong in 2019.
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