The Hong Kong High Court held closing arguments in its first case involving the National Security Law on Tuesday (July 20, 2021).
How the judge rules is expected to be indicative of the outlook for the more than 100 National Security Law cases to date.
Tang, 24, was charged with inciting secession, terrorism and dangerous driving causing injury when he rammed a police officer on a motorcycle with a “Hong Kong Restoration, Times Revolution” banner on July 1, 2020, just hours after the law took effect. Tang pleaded not guilty.
The High Court declined to set a jury in the case in the Hong Kong judicial tradition, instead allowing Tang to stand trial before three government-appointed national security law judges.
In his closing arguments, prosecutors told the judges that the defendant’s aim was to subvert state power under the banner “Restoration of Hong Kong, Revolution of the Times” and that his actions in punching police officers and causing serious bodily injury fit the description of a terrorist activity under Section 24 of the National Security Law.
The defense lawyer said that people have different interpretations of “restoration of Hong Kong” and should not assume that the banner of “restoration of Hong Kong” is intended to subvert the regime.
“Restoring Hong Kong, revolution of the times” was a widely circulated slogan and tagline during the mass protests against Beijing’s erosion of Hong Kong’s freedom in 2019. But after Beijing pushed through a “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law” last year, the slogan has been seen by authorities as a symbol of advocating Hong Kong’s independence or inciting national secession.
After closing arguments by the prosecution and defense, the trial judge of the Hong Kong High Court announced a ruling on Tang’s case next Tuesday.
There are now about 120 cases involving violations of national security laws. Observers say how the court decides Tang’s case will be indicative of many similar cases to come.
The U.S. and Western allies have strongly criticized Beijing for pushing the national security law in Hong Kong and are closely watching how authorities use it to crack down on criticism of the government.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement last Friday (July 16) saying that since the outbreak of protest demonstrations in 2019, the Hong Kong government has arrested thousands of Hong Kong people who have spoken out against government policies because of their differing views, including those who posted on social media or participated in candlelight memorials, and has used the national security law to systematically undermine Hong Kong’s democratic institutions.
During Tang’s trial, diplomats from the United States, Australia and New Zealand attended the court and closely followed the case.
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