Tong Ying-kit, the first person charged under Hong Kong’s year-old National Security Law, went on trial on Wednesday, accused of “secession” and “terrorism” for riding a motorbike carrying a flag that called for the Chinese territory’s liberation into a group of police officers.
The 24-year-old, who pleaded not guilty, is also accused of dangerous driving. He faces life in prison if convicted.
The trial, before three judges and without a jury, is the first under the legislation that China imposed last year after months of protests in 2019. Authorities in Hong Kong and China argued the broadly-worded law was necessary to restore stability to Hong Kong after some of the demonstrations turned violent, and was likely only to be applied in a tiny number of cases.
Critics said it is being used as tool to quash the pro-democracy movement with dozens of politicians and activists arrested since it came into force.
Diplomats from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were outside the court and proceedings got under way at about 10:45am (02:45 GMT), according to Citizen News.
Al Jazeera’s Divya Gopalan, who is in Hong Kong, said the proceedings against Tong were being seen as a “landmark” case in jurisdiction where jury trials are seen as a cornerstone of the common law system.
