On Friday, Hong Kong published a draft security bill that would punish crimes including treason and insurrection with up to life in jail. Additionally, the draft suggested 10 years for offenses involving state secrets and 20 years for espionage.
After a month-long public consultation session, Hong Kong presented a new draft security bill on Friday that calls for up to life imprisonment for crimes like treason and insurrection.
Treason, rebellion, inciting a member of the Chinese armed forces to mutiny, and conspiring with foreign forces to harm or undermine public infrastructure in order to jeopardize national security are among the crimes that carry a potential sentence of life imprisonment.
Additionally, 20 years in prison for espionage and 10 years for offenses involving state secrets were suggested in the draft Article 23.
John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, stressed on Thursday that the legislation must be passed “as soon as possible” given the “increasingly complex” geopolitical environment.
During the public consultation, 98.6% of opinions indicated support for the law, according to a government statement.