Hong Kong

Five teenagers from Hong Kong who were accused of urging an “armed revolution” have been ordered to send to a correctional facility for three years in a national security case.

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This is the first time that the national security law has been used by a court to punish under-18s. The law was introduced in 2020 to persecute pro-democracy protesters.

The teenagers, whose ages ranged between 16 and 19 at the time of the alleged offence, were members of Returning Valiant, a pro-Hong Kong independence group, reports BBC.

They had pleaded guilty to “inciting others to subvert state power”. Two more aged 21 and 26 will be a given a sentence at a later date.

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In the court, it was argued that the indicted teenagers used social media and street booths to advocate a "bloody revolution" to overthrow the Chinese state in Hong Kong.

The prosecutors informed the court that the group’s pamphlets mentioned the French and Ukrainian revolutions as examples of successful armed rebellions.

But the judge said that he took note of their “age and immaturity” while sentencing them to a correctional facility, even though their activity was termed as a “serious crime”.

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"Even if one person is incited, Hong Kong's stability and residents' safety could have been greatly harmed,” Judge Kwok Wai-kin was quoted as saying.

“There’s no evidence to directly prove that anyone was incited by the defendants to subvert state power, but this real risk exists,” he added.

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He further said that the correctional authorities would decide the length of the stay, which has been capped at three years.

According to local reports, more than 22 people linked to the group were arrested last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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