Hong Kong teen remanded in custody for allegedly scrawling seditious words in toilet
Leung Kai-lok appears in West Kowloon Court to face four counts, including one of sedition under domestic national security law
A Hong Kong court has remanded an 18-year-old in custody on national security grounds after he allegedly wrote seditious words three times in the toilet of a commercial building earlier this month.
Part-time clerk Leung Kai-lok was escorted to West Kowloon Court on Wednesday afternoon to face four counts, including one of sedition under the domestic national security law.
Police revealed earlier in the day that officers had arrested Leung on suspicion of scrawling words that were aimed at “provoking hatred, contempt or disaffection against the constitutional order and the executive, legislative or judicial authority” of Hong Kong, as well as “inciting other persons” to disobey the law.
The teenager allegedly committed the offences between July 17 and 21 at a grade A office building in China Hong Kong City in Tsim Sha Tsui, according to a charge sheet provided for press inspection.
He was charged with one count of “doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention”, and three counts of destroying or damaging property.
Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak denied the accused bail and adjourned the case until August 19 to allow time for police to inspect a mobile phone seized from him.