The mastermind behind a foiled bomb plot during Hong Kong's 2019 anti-government protests has been sentenced to serve over two decades in prison.
Ng Chi-hung, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bombing and possession of arms with intent to endanger life, was sentenced on Thursday to 23 years and 10 months by a Hong Kong court.
The case has drawn significant attention because it is the first of its kind to be brought under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance, enacted by Hong Kong to comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution following the 9/11 attacks.
Bomb Plot Targeted Police Officers Amid 2019 Protests
Ng Chi-hung and six other convicted defendants were part of a plot to detonate bombs and shoot police officers along a protest route on Dec. 8, 2019.
At the time, Hong Kong was rocked by large-scale protests over a controversial extradition bill, which would have allowed suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China. The hard-lined official response to the protests sparked widespread accusations of police brutality.
According to prosecutors, members of two groups were involved in the plot: one led by Ng and the other, the Dragon-Slaying Brigade, which planned to lure officers into an area where bombs would be detonated and snipers would target them.
A Declaration of War on Society
Judge Judianna Barnes described the plot as vicious and as a declaration of war on society, highlighting the severity of the crime.
While the defendants are not well-known activists in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, the use of the anti-terrorism law in this case has brought additional scrutiny.
Prosecutors stated that most of the convicted individuals were linked to the two extremist groups, with some attempting to provoke violence during a time of intense social unrest.
Additional Sentences for codefendants
Wong Chun-keung, the leader of the Dragon-Slaying Brigade, was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison, while five other defendants received sentences ranging from nearly six to 12 years.
In contrast, six other individuals involved in the case were acquitted in August after pleading not guilty. Hong Kong's police chief Steve Li remarked that he would review the judgment and consider appealing certain sentencing decisions, further criticizing the convicted defendants as "deranged."
The 2019 protests, the most significant challenge to the Hong Kong government since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, culminated in widespread social unrest and over 10,000 arrests.
The protests were fueled by the controversial extradition bill, which was later withdrawn, but the tensions surrounding the issue continue to shape Hong Kong's political landscape.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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