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National security law: peaceful protesters could land in jail, legal experts warn
- Actions that may potentially lead to guilty verdict include protests staged outside government offices and vandalism of public property, lawyers say
- Political pundits suggest Beijing drafted legislation as a way to target actions often seen during anti-government demonstrations of past year
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Participants in peaceful protests could risk being sent to prison under the Beijing-decreed national security law for Hong Kong, members of the city’s legal sector warned on Wednesday as they expressed concerns over the “broadly defined” offences.
Political pundits also suggested Beijing had drafted the sweeping legislation as a way to target actions that protesters frequently engaged in during the anti-government demonstrations of the past year.
Behaviour that could potentially lead to a guilty verdict under the new law included filibustering in the legislature, protests staged outside government offices and vandalism of traffic lights and public property, lawyers said.
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These were potential crimes according to the full detailed articles of the new law – finally made public after it became effective in the city on Tuesday night – which spelt out the scope of the four offences of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security.
03:25
Hong Kong police arrest 10 under new national security law
Hong Kong police arrest 10 under new national security law
The maximum penalty for each crime is life imprisonment, although the suggested sentence for some minor offences is less than three years’ jail.
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Bar Association vice-chairwoman Anita Yip Hau-ki raised concerns over the legislation’s Article 20, which suggests that a person who organises, plans, commits or participates in acts of secession should be found guilty “whether or not by force or threat of force”.
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