First minors sentenced under national security law in Hong Kong

Five people including four minors have been sentenced to up to three years of detention in Hong Kong for advocating the overthrow of the Chinese government, according to media report.

Five people including four minors have been sentenced to up to three years of detention in Hong Kong for advocating the overthrow of the Chinese government, according to a media report. It is to be noted that the national security law has been used in court against teenagers (under their 18s) in Hong Kong for the first time, Hong Kong Free Press reported.

The national security law was imposed in Hong Kong in 2020 that banned protests in the city. The detainees include -- 17-year-old Yuen Ka-him, 16-year-old Wan Chung-wai, 17-year-old Leung Yung-wan, 17-year-old Tseung Chau Ching-yu, and Kwok Man-hei, 19, who appeared before District Judge Kwok Wai-kin for sentencing on Saturday, Hong Kong Free Press reported.

Last month, a 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong had gone on trial under the national security law. Known as the "conscience of Hong Kong" among his supporters, Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of Asia's most senior Catholic clerics, was arrested by Hong Kong's national security police in May along with three other leading democracy activists, including Cantopop star Denis Ho, reported CNN.

The charge under the Societies Ordinance, a century-old colonial-era law, carries a fine of up to HKD 10,000 (USD1,274) but not jail time. All have pleaded not guilty. Zen's trial comes at a sensitive time for the Vatican, which is preparing to renew a controversial deal with Beijing over the appointment of bishops in China, reported CNN.

Zen has long advocated for democracy, human rights and religious freedom. He has joined some of the city's most important protests, from the mass rally against national security legislation in 2003 to the "Umbrella Movement" demanding universal suffrage in 2014. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)