HONG KONG: A student who published pro-independence social media posts while studying in Japan was sentenced to two months in prison by a Hong Kong judge on November 3.
The colonial-era sedition law in Japan has resulted in the first known conviction of a Hong Konger for virtual conversation.
This scenario, according to academics and international activists, represents an alarming increase of the cold effect felt by those who continue to be involved in Hong Kong affairs.
After entering a guilty plea, Chief Magistrate Victor So sentenced the pupil to two months in prison, stating that warning sentencing was required because” uneducated people may be incited gently.”
For 13 pro-Hong Kong freedom social media posts posted on Facebook and Instagram between September 2018 and March 2023, Mika Yuen, 23, entered a rebellion guilty plea in late October.
The prosecutor claims that the majority of the posts, which included statements like” I am a Hongkonger, I advocate for Hong Kong independence” and” Houkon independence, the only way out ,” were made while she was studying in Japan.
Just two of the 13 purported social media posts were made public in Hong Kong.
After returning to the city in March to maintain her identification card, she was detained.
The defense had previously argued that the magistrate’s court had extrajudicial authority over the posts she published on board, but they dropped the argument because she didn’t take down the content.