Hong Kong Woman Jailed for Year Over Seditious Video Filming for Canadian Group

A woman from Hong Kong received a one-year prison sentence for sedition under the city's local security law, following her involvement i...

A woman from Hong Kong received a one-year prison sentence for sedition under the city's local security law, following her involvement in promotional videos for a "shadow legislature" aimed at toppling the government.

Lan Fei, 19, received a sentence on Thursday at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts followingpleading guilty last monthfor sedition under the National Security Protection Ordinance, locally referred to as Article 23.

She was featured in two videos released in April and May of this year, promoting the election for the self-styled "Hong Kong Parliament," a group based in Canada that aimed toform a shadow legislaturebeyond the city with a goal of overthrowing the municipal administration.

The court had previously been informed that the group, labeled as subversive by local officials, aimed at Hong Kong independence, the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party, and the classification of China's ruling party as a "transnational criminal organization."

Lan received CA$100 (HK$550) for every video she appeared in, where she urged viewers to "reclaim the rights" that are entitled to Hong Kong residents and mentioned that the parliament could assist those imprisoned in the city.

It came to light in court that Lan had previously been in a relationship with Tony Lam, one of the people being sought by Hong Kong's national security police due to their connections with the informal legislative body.

Chief Magistrate Victor So stated on Thursday that Lan, by promoting involvement from others in the elections held by the Hong Kong Parliament, had "supported and joined forces with the extreme and poorly thought-out ideology" of the organization.

Similarly, it was observed that the two videos together had surpassed 900,000 views on the YouTube channel of the sought-after activist Elmer Yuen, who is wanted with a HK$1 million reward for his arrest under national security charges.

The judge pointed out that the crime included an "international aspect," which served as a factor that increased the severity of the punishment.

The Hong Kong Legislative Council was "set up as foreign outposts aimed at spreading anti-China sentiments and resistance on an international level," he stated.

However, So accepted the argument made by defense attorney Luke McGuinniety that Lan was acting under the "undue influence" of Lam, her former boyfriend, who was 37 years old.

"The defendant was, to some degree, affected, if not controlled, by Lam, who was her boyfriend at the relevant time and significantly older and more emotionally developed," he stated.

The judge initially imposed a sentence of 18 months in prison and cut the prison term by one-third due to Lan's early guilty plea.

Lan remained composed upon hearing the punishment. Her family members and staff from the Canadian and German consulates in Hong Kong were seated in the courtroom's public gallery on Thursday.

Under Article 23, the maximum penalty for seditionis seven years in prison, or 10 years if the perpetrator is determined to have worked with an "external force."

Lan was taken into custody following her breakup with Lam and her return to Hong Kong in July of this year.

Law enforcement discovered text messages on her phone that urged friends to participate in the informal voting polls, along with images of her holding signs stating "Hong Kong Independence."

Apart from the 2020 Beijing-implementedsecurity law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinancetargets acts of treason, rebellion, destruction, foreign interference, sedition, theft of state secrets, and espionage. It enablespre-charge detentionas long as 16 days, andsuspects’ access to lawyersmay be limited, with consequences includingup to a life sentence. Article 23 was shelvedin 2003, during widespread demonstrations, it remained a sensitive topic for many years. However, on March 23, 2024, it was finally passed into law.fast-trackedand was unanimously accepted by the city's non-opposition legislature.

The law has has faced criticism from human rights NGOs, Western states and the UNas vague, broad, and "regressive." Officials, however, mentioned supposed foreign involvement and a constitutional obligation to "close gaps" following the2019 protests and unrest.