A Hong Kong court has sentenced a man with an intellectual disability to two years and four months in prison for inciting subversion, promoting a pro-Taiwan party and disseminating anti-Communist Party messages, with the judge noting his condition had affected his moral judgment.
District Court Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi on Monday handed the sentence to Chan Ho-hin, a 23-year-old waiter, who had earlier pleaded guilty to publishing 118 subversive messages on his social media accounts between June 27, 2024, and April 24, 2025.
The defendant repeatedly posted messages suggesting the Taiwanese government could “liberate” Hong Kong if it were to regain power in mainland China.
The posts advocated revolution to overthrow the Communist Party and promoted Hong Kong independence, violating the national security law.
In April last year, the defendant also sought to disseminate his views offering to mail letters to like-minded individuals locally and attempting to send leaflets to Thailand to promote the Chinese Pro-Taiwan Anti-CCP Restoration Party, which is based on the self-ruled island.
Despite denying being a party member, evidence showed that the defendant had frequent exchanges with a person claiming to be Cheng Kai-li, the party’s secretary general.