HONG KONG – A Hong Kong court found a man guilty of terrorism and incitement to secession, judging the first case under the national security law imposed by Beijing on the former British colony in June 2020. Tong Ying-kit, former 24-year-old waiter was found guilty of both counts by a panel of three judges. During the protests, Tong rode his motorbike to riot police officers waving a flag with the slogan: “Let Hong Kong free. The revolution of our time.” Gesture that the court defined, in fact, “of incitement to secession” and therefore to be considered as an illegal conduct. For this verdict, which came after a 15-day trial, Tong could face life imprisonment. The extent of the sentence is foreseen later. Since the law went into effect in 2019, more than 100 people have been arrested. The law reduces Hong Kong’s autonomy and makes it easier to punish activists. Beijing insists that the widely criticized law, which came after a series of mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, is needed to bring stability to the city.