Hong Kong's National Security Law: First Arrest Under 'Prejudicing Investigation' Provision Made

Hong Kong's National Security Law: First Arrest Under 'Prejudicing Investigation' Provision

Hong Kong authorities have, for the first time, utilized a specific provision of the city's stringent national security law to make an arrest. A 71-year-old man has been apprehended on suspicion of unlawfully disclosing sensitive details related to a police investigation, an act deemed prejudicial to national security probes.

Details of the Arrest and Allegations

The arrest, confirmed by national security police, targets a provision under Section 88 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, enacted last year. This particular section prohibits actions that could prejudice investigations into offenses endangering national security. The Saturday operation saw the suspect taken into custody.

Sources have identified the arrested individual as Wong Kwok-ngon, a former writer for the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid and a former deputy convenor of the disbanded Civil Human Rights Front. His background links him to prominent roles in the city's media and activist landscape.

Public Disclosure Via YouTube

Police detailed that Wong had reportedly assisted the National Security Department with an investigation on December 2. However, he is alleged to have subsequently revealed specifics of this confidential probe in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel the very next day, December 3. This public disclosure forms the basis of the charge, marking a significant development in the enforcement of Hong Kong's national security legislation.