President of dissolved group jailed for five years

UK resident sentenced for conspiracy offence over posts pushing for independence of city

The president of a now-dissolved political party has been sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to incite others to commit secession through online posts pushing for the city’s independence.

District Court Judge Ernest Lin Kam-hung yesterday said Joseph John, 41, had “twisted history”, “demonised the Chinese government” and called for fundraising to pay for mercenaries, among other ideas which included abolishing the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the agreement that paved the way for Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

“For anyone who has a slight understanding of history, these suggestions do not follow historical facts, are not reasonable and do not make sense,” the judge said. “It also clearly shows his ignorance towards the international political environment.”

According to a summary of facts earlier admitted to by John, a UK resident of Portuguese nationality, the Hong Kong Independence Party was founded by a European citizen in 2014 and registered as a political party in Britain a year later.

The summary document noted the party said on its website that its main aim was to support the Hong Kong people in their struggle for self-determination, awakening them to the importance of safeguarding their identity as a “national group”, as well as aiding them in nation-building and returning to the British Commonwealth.

During the police investigation, John denied creating or publishing any of the posts, claiming he was only managing the party’s social media accounts.

But evidence showed he had access to all the accounts and a business card on his phone stating he was the party’s “president”.

The court previously heard 42 posts circulated online from September 16, 2019, to November 1, 2022, which urged the placement of troops in the city by the United States and the United Kingdom as well as the abolition of the Joint Declaration.

Thirty-five of those posts were made after the Beijing-decreed national security law took effect on June 30, 2020.

These suggestions do not follow historical facts, are not reasonable and do not make sense DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ERNEST LIN