Below is a text of a story where the name of the person and the place it happened have been changed. Can you guess what country this story is from?
The first person charged under a national-security law was found guilty of inciting secession and terrorism Tuesday in a verdict that reaffirms new limits on speech in the city and could set a precedent for future trials under the law.
The 24 year old, had pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was filmed driving a motorcycle that collided with police officers during street protests the day after the national-security law was unveiled.
He carried a flag bearing the popular protest slogan. Following the incident, the government said the slogan carried connotations of subverting state power.
The “display of the words was capable of inciting others to commit secession,” read the ruling by a three-judge panel, adding that the defendant understood the slogan to carry a secessionist meaning.
The judges said his acts, including crashing into officers, was a “deliberate challenge mounted against the police.” The judges said he carried them out with the aim of intimidating the public to pursue a political agenda.
According to the national-security law, offenses related to terrorism and inciting secession can be punishable by years in prison. In their verdict, the judges said the man’s acts “seriously jeopardized public safety or security” and “caused grave harm to society.” His sentence will be handed down at a later date.
Revealed Below
It’s not the United States but it could be don’t you think? Think about the kangaroo court convened today on Capitol Hill. The crying Adam Kinzinger as he relives a protest that got a little too close to his physical proximity.
The story above is about Hong Kong and the new Chinese national security law. We are now China. Here’s the un-altered text.
The first person charged under a national-security law imposed by Beijing was found guilty of inciting secession and terrorism Tuesday in a verdict that reaffirms new limits on speech in the city and could set a precedent for future trials under the law.
Tong Ying-kit, 24 years old, had pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mr. Tong was filmed driving a motorcycle that collided with police officers during street protests on July 1 last year—the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997 and the day after the national-security law was unveiled.
Mr. Tong carried a flag bearing the popular protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times.” Following the incident, the Hong Kong government said the slogan carried connotations of Hong Kong independence or subverting state power.
The “display of the words was capable of inciting others to commit secession,” read the ruling by a three-judge panel, adding that the defendant understood the slogan to carry a secessionist meaning.
The judges said Mr. Tong’s acts, including crashing into officers, was a “deliberate challenge mounted against the police, a symbol of Hong Kong’s law and order.” The judges said he carried them out with the aim of intimidating the public to pursue a political agenda.
According to the national-security law, offenses related to terrorism and inciting secession can be punishable by years in prison, while the maximum penalty under the law is life imprisonment. In their verdict, the judges said Mr. Tong’s acts “seriously jeopardized public safety or security” and “caused grave harm to the society.” His sentence will be handed down at a later date.
Wall Street Journal
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