Hong Kong court spares 19-year-old student jail for seditious graffiti

Leung Kai-lok, a 19-year-old Hong Kong student, has become potentially the first person to avoid a custodial sentence under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. On Wednesday, West Kowloon Court gave him 1½ years of probation after convicting him of inciting hatred towards authorities by writing anti-government messages in a toilet at the China Hong Kong City commercial complex in Tsim Sha Tsui. The court ruled his good background, young age, and the limited impact of his offences constituted 'exceptional circumstances.'

Leung, who is pursuing a higher diploma in digital media, pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage for graffiti scrawled between July 17 and 21, 2025, while he worked as a part-time clerk for the city's Vanuatu consulate. The probation order requires him to attend psychiatric and psychological counselling, participate in community activities, and follow his probation officer's instructions. He was also ordered to pay HK$1,500 (US$190) to the commercial complex, though he spent four weeks in jail before sentencing. The case marks a rare lenient outcome under the national security law, drawing attention to judicial discretion in such cases.