Hong Kong national security law: first person to stand trial found guilty of terrorism, inciting secession
- Leon Tong, 24, rammed his motorcycle into three police officers while carrying flag calling for city’s ‘liberation’ during a July 1 rally
- Police are investigating reports of threatening phone call targeting three High Court judges in case, according to source
A panel of three High Court judges appointed by the city’s leader ruled on Tuesday that Leon Tong Ying-kit had incited separatism by displaying the signature rallying call of the 2019 anti-government protests, “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times”, when he took to the streets of Wan Chai during a July 1 rally in 2020.
The judges concluded that the 24-year-old former restaurant worker had also caused great harm to society by inflicting grave injuries on three police officers who tried to block him after he ignored repeated warnings to stop.
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Man found guilty in Hong Kong’s first national security law trial
In another development, a police source said the force was investigating reports of a menacing phone call targeting the judges.
After the verdict was handed down, according to the insider, a judiciary employee received a call at around 5pm from a man who said he would launch a bomb attack on Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping. He also blasted the other two judges and threatened to slash them with knives.
In a late-night statement, the Department of Justice said judges had to handle cases in accordance with the law and evidence without any intervention. It added the government would not tolerate acts that harmed the rule of law when judges were being threatened because of their legal duties.
Legal experts, meanwhile, said the ruling would have a far-reaching impact on future national security cases, and advised the public not to promote the protest slogan or other chants that might be linked to secession.
