Beijing has ‘annihilated’ democracy and freedom

Koo Sze-yiu will have to serve a nine-month prison sentence for sedition: he had organized a protest during the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital. A veteran of the democratic camp, he has already served 14 sentences for his activism. He told the judge that jail is nothing compared to the contribution of dissidents in China.

Hong Kong () – The Chinese authorities have “annihilated” democracy and freedom in the former British colony, activist Koo Sze-yiu said today in his appeal to request a reduction of the sentence to nine months in prison for sedition that Judge Peter Law decided.

According to the Hong Kong Free Press, the veteran of the democratic camp pleaded not guilty and accused Beijing of “eliminating” dissidents through the National Security Law imposed two years ago.

Security police arrested Koo on Feb. 4 and he was accused of organizing a protest in front of the Beijing Contact Office in Hong Kong to coincide with the opening of the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital.

The agents arrested the activist a few hours before the launch of his plan. He had prepared a coffin to place in the street, covering it with slogans such as “democracy and human rights are more important than the Winter Games” and “enough of one-party power.”

Judge Law sentenced him under the anti-sedition law, which dates back to British colonial times. Unlike the National Security Law, which even contemplates life imprisonment, the sedition law establishes a maximum sentence of two years.

Koo is in his 70s and has served 14 sentences for his democracy activism. He also has stage four cancer, but Judge Law clarified that the convict’s health conditions will not be taken into account for a possible sentence reduction.

Law warned Koo not to “politicize” the trial, but to no avail. The activist closed his speech by saying that it is not a problem for him to be a “combatant” for democracy and freedom. He reiterated that, although he must spend some time in jail, that is nothing compared to the contribution of Chinese dissidents: “I am not willing to repent and the Court should not have any leniency with me. Spending time in prison is part of my life; the more time you spend behind bars, the smarter you become.”