Hong Kong speech therapists sentenced to 19 months for books
A Hong Kong court has sentenced five speech therapists to nearly two years in prison for their role in the publication of children's books deemed seditious
Hong Kong speech therapists sentenced to 19 months for books
Show all 3Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Hong Kong court sentenced five speech therapists to nearly two years in prison Saturday for their role in the publication of children’s books deemed seditious.
The penalties are the latest sign of China’s hard line against free speech and any sign of political opposition in the city following the 2019 antigovernment protests.
Beijing responded to the monthslong demonstrations by imposing a sweeping National Security Law and disqualifying, imprisoning or silencing political opponents, many of whom have sought asylum abroad.
The five defendants have already been jailed for more than a year and may be eligible for early release under the terms of the 19-month sentence handed down Saturday. They had pleaded not guilty but were convicted of sedition Wednesday after they printed a series of children’s books about sheep and wolves that a court said was aimed at inciting hatred against authorities.
The clampdown has led to criticism that China’s ruling Communist Party has reneged on a 1997 pledge when Hong Kong was handed over from Britain to China to retain the city’s Western-style freedoms — including free speech.
Hong Kong authorities have purged and imprisoned politicians and teachers associated with the pro-democracy camp, shut down newspapers and pulled publications and artworks seen as critical of the Communist Party, which brooks no opposition.
Recent days have also seen the arrest of Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, for allegedly refusing to provide identification while reporting a news story about housing.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.