Five adolescents were sentenced to three years of imprisonment in Hong Kong for inciting the overthrow of the Beijing government.
In Hong Kong, this is the first time the national security statute has been invoked against minors.
In 2020, Beijing implemented the expansive law, which made it easier to prosecute demonstrators.
Since then, many individuals who opposed the Chinese government have been imprisoned, substantially reducing the political opposition.
The court heard that the accused advocated a “bloody revolution” to remove the Chinese government in the former British colony via social media and street booths.
Judge Kwok Wai-kin stated, “Hong Kong’s stability and inhabitants’ safety could have been severely compromised by the incitement of even one person.”
The adolescents, aged between 16 and 19, were members of the pro-Hong Kong independence group Returning Valiant.
Mr. Wai-kin acknowledged the defendants’ “youth and immaturity” when he sentenced them to a juvenile detention institution, also known as a training center, as opposed to prison.
Additionally, the judge capped their punishment at three years. The length of their detention will remain at the discretion of the authorities.
Involved in the case are two adults who will be sentenced next month.
At least 110 people have been arrested under the national security law, according to research published by ChinaFile in collaboration with Georgetown University. Protesters, activists, and former opposition MPs are among those arrested.
