Hong Kong national security police arrest man over allegedly seditious social media posts provoking ‘hatred’ towards authorities
- Suspect, identified in court as Tsang Kwok-hei, charged with ‘doing an act or acts with seditious intention’ in breach of Crimes Ordinance.
- Officers raid man’s home in Sha Tin, seizing electronic communications devices said to have been used to publish seditious messages on social media
The suspect, identified in court as Tsang Kwok-hei, was charged on Friday with “doing an act or acts with seditious intention”, a breach of the Crimes Ordinance.
Officers from the police’s national security unit detained the suspect at his home in Sha Tin the previous day.
“[An] investigation revealed that the arrested man was suspected of repeatedly publishing posts with seditious intention on social platforms, with content provoking hatred towards the central authorities and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” police said.
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The force said electronic communications devices believed to have been used to publish the messages were seized in the raid on the man’s flat.
A charge sheet submitted to West Kowloon Court accused Tsang of “publishing, making available and/or continuing to make available” seditious content on the popular LIHKG forum between July 21 last year and January 18.
The prosecution asked for the case to be adjourned for five weeks so police could inspect the defendant’s computer and see whether he was involved in other offences.
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Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung approved the request and scheduled the next hearing for late February. Tsang was handed over to the Correctional Services Department after deciding not to seek bail.
Sedition is punishable by up to two years in jail for a first offence.
