Following significant pro-democracy protests, three Hong Kong activists were sentenced to up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to charges linked to a plan to plant bombs in judicial buildings and other public facilities in 2021.
Ho Yu-wang, 20, Kwok Man-hei, 21, and Cheung Ho-yeung, 23, were all charged with “conspiracy to commit terrorism” in accordance with the National Security Act.
High Court Judge Alex Lee acknowledged that the hostile social atmosphere during Hong Kong’s protracted pro-democracy rallies could “easily cloud one person’s moral judgment and might turn people with previously good characters into radicals.”
Kwok belonged to a pro-independence group named “Returning Valiant”, according to the prosecution’s summary of facts.
Report says the three were accused of planning to make improvised explosives devices and place them in public places including government offices, cross harbour tunnels, police staff quarters, railways, and court buildings between April 1 and 5 July 2021.
The defendants were arrested before any of the devices were made or used.
Meanwhile, Ho, who was alleged to be the mastermind behind the plan, and Cheung were sentenced to six years imprisonment, while Kwok was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment.
Ho pled guilty to terrorism, while Cheung and Kwok pleaded guilty to another charge of plotting to “cause explosions likely to endanger life or serious injury to property.”
The beginning point for Ho’s punishment was established at ten years, and Judge Lee deducted four years for his aid to the prosecution, resulting in Cheung’s guilty plea.
In May, four other people implicated in the plot were sentenced. One 21-year-old man was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for renting a flat for the scam, while three others aged 17 to 20 were sent to training centers.
Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 to punish secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life imprisonment.
Some foreign governments including the US say the security law is a tool to crush dissent. However, Beijing says the security law has restored stability to the global financial hub after the mass 2019 protests.
Since the national security law was imposed, more than 280 people have been arrested including opposition politicians, activists, lawyers, and journalists.
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