HONG KONG (AP) — A significant development has taken place in Hong Kong as the mastermind behind a thwarted bomb plot during the anti-government protests in 2019 has been sentenced to nearly 24 years in prison. This marks the first case in the city to be prosecuted under a United Nations anti-terrorism law.
The individual, who had admitted guilt to charges of conspiring to commit the bombing of prescribed objects and possession of arms or ammunition with intent to endanger life, received a sentence of 23 years and 10 months by a Hong Kong court. The incident involved a plan to plant two bombs and target officers along a rally route on December 8, 2019, amidst widespread allegations of police brutality towards protesters.
Although the convicted individuals are not prominent figures in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, their case has garnered attention due to the invocation of the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance. This law was enacted by Hong Kong to comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Reports indicate that most of the defendants were associated with two groups, one led by the mastermind and another known as the “Dragon Slaying Brigade.” Prosecutors revealed that members of the brigade had devised a plan to lure police officers to a specific location where bombs would be detonated, and a sniper would target them.
The leader of the brigade was sentenced to over 13 years, while five other defendants received prison terms ranging from nearly six years to 12 years. In a separate development, six defendants who had pleaded not guilty were acquitted by a panel of jurors in August.
The 2019 protests in Hong Kong represented a significant challenge to the local government since the territory's handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997. The social unrest, triggered by a controversial extradition bill that has since been withdrawn, led to the arrest of over 10,000 individuals in connection with the often-violent demonstrations.
