Hong Kong legislature backs court sentence on activist, slams foreign criticism
Hong Kong's Legislative Council firmly supports the High Court's sentence on activist Wong Chi-fung for colluding with foreign forces, calling it a demonstration of justice. It criticises US and Western criticism as interference in Hong Kong's judicial independence.
The Legislative Council of Hong Kong has expressed strong support for the sentence handed down by the High Court's original jurisdiction division against activist Wong Chi-fung, who was convicted of conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces to endanger national security. In a statement released on 5 November, a Legislative Council spokesperson said the sentence fully demonstrates the rule of law and justice, and reflects that under the Hong Kong National Security Law, anyone who attempts to endanger national security will be severely punished according to the law.
The spokesperson condemned what it described as malicious attacks and smears from the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China regarding the sentence, which it said called for Wong's unconditional release. The spokesperson described such demands as a trampling on the rule of law, and urged Western countries, anti-China organisations and politicians, and some foreign media to immediately cease making irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong's judicial cases and stop interfering in Hong Kong's judiciary.
According to the spokesperson, the court's sentencing reasons determined that Wong's case fell into the category of a “serious crime”, given the severe nature of his offences. At the time of the offences, Hong Kong was facing serious social unrest and riots, posing high risks to national security and the rule of law. The spokesperson said that even after the implementation of the National Security Law, Wong and his group showed no remorse and continued to act as agents for foreign and external forces, colluding to endanger national security and attempting to pressure the central and Hong Kong governments through external forces.
The statement noted that Wong used his social media and Western mainstream news outlets to call for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong, describing Wong as the mastermind and most prominent advocate of the scheme. The spokesperson said Wong's guilty plea reflected the strong evidence gathered by the police and the prosecutorial work by the Department of Justice. The court's detailed sentencing reasons, the spokesperson added, underscored Hong Kong's status as a society governed by the rule of law, where laws must be followed and violations must be punished. The sentence, the spokesperson concluded, serves as a strong deterrent to anyone who plots to collude with external forces to harm national interests.