FILE - In this July 6, 2020, record photo, Tong Ying-kit arrives astatine a tribunal successful a constabulary van successful Hong Kong. A lawyer for Tong, who convicted nether Hong Kong's nationalist information law, asked Thursday, July 29, 2021, for nary much than 10 years successful situation alternatively of the imaginable beingness condemnation faced by the erstwhile edifice waiter successful a intimately watched lawsuit arsenic China tries to crush a pro-democracy movement. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

FILE - In this July 6, 2020, record photo, Tong Ying-kit arrives astatine a tribunal successful a constabulary van successful Hong Kong. A lawyer for Tong, who convicted nether Hong Kong's nationalist information law, asked Thursday, July 29, 2021, for nary much than 10 years successful situation alternatively of the imaginable beingness condemnation faced by the erstwhile edifice waiter successful a intimately watched lawsuit arsenic China tries to crush a pro-democracy movement. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

HONG KONG – A lawyer for the archetypal idiosyncratic convicted nether Hong Kong’s nationalist information instrumentality asked Thursday for nary much than 10 years successful situation alternatively of the imaginable beingness condemnation faced by the erstwhile edifice waiter successful a intimately watched lawsuit arsenic China's ruling Communist Party tries to crush a pro-democracy movement.

Tong Ying-kit was convicted Tuesday of inciting secession and coercion for driving his motorcycle into a radical of constabulary officers during a July 1, 2020, pro-democracy rally portion carrying a emblem bearing the banned slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, gyration of our times.”

Tong, 24, volition beryllium sentenced Friday, the Hong Kong High Court announced.

Beijing imposed the information instrumentality connected the erstwhile British colony past twelvemonth pursuing anti-government protests that erupted successful mid-2019. The crackdown prompted complaints the ruling enactment is violating the autonomy promised erstwhile Hong Kong returned to China successful 1997 and hurting its presumption arsenic a planetary concern center. Officials cull the criticisms and accidental Beijing is restoring bid and instituting nationalist information protections akin to those of different countries.

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At a hearing, Tong’s pb defence lawyer, Clive Grossman, asked the three-judge sheet for a condemnation of nary much than 10 years. He said the tribunal hadn’t recovered the onslaught was deliberate, nary 1 was injured and Tong’s secession-related discourtesy qualified arsenic insignificant nether the law.

The tribunal ruled Tuesday that Tong’s actions were an enactment of unit aimed astatine coercing the Hong Kong and mainland governments and intimidating the public. It said carrying the emblem was an enactment of incitement to secession, rejecting defence arguments that Tong couldn't proven to beryllium inciting secession conscionable by utilizing the slogan.

Prosecutor Ivan Cheung asked for astatine slightest 3 years.

Judge Anthea Pang said the tribunal volition travel the “usual statutory term” and ineligible interpretations of the nationalist information instrumentality but gave nary denotation what that mightiness be.

Tong, wearing a achromatic garment and necktie with a bluish blazer, talked with his lawyers earlier the proceeding but didn’t code the court. Relatives waved to Tong arsenic helium near and said, “see you tomorrow.”

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The past pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily, unopen down past period aft journalists and executives were arrested.

Tong’s proceedings was conducted by judges without a assemblage nether rules that let an objection to Hong Kong’s British-style communal instrumentality strategy if authorities secrets request to beryllium protected oregon overseas forces are involved. The judges were picked by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.