Hong Kong student sentenced over online posts in Japan

Nov 04, 2023 | News On Japan

Nov 04, 2023 (NHK) - A court in Hong Kong has sentenced a 23-year-old woman to two months in jail for sedition. The charges relate to social media posts she made while studying in Japan.

The student was accused of making pro-independence comments on Facebook and elsewhere starting in 2018.

She returned to Hong Kong in March, and was arrested on suspicion of violating the territory's national security law. The charges later came under the sedition law.

A court said on Friday that the woman had attempted to incite displeasure with the central government through 13 online messages, of which 11 were made in Japan.

Chinese authorities are tightening controls on free speech under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

The court's decision adds to fears about people being punished in Hong Kong for their actions overseas.

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