Hong Kong Makes First Arrest Under National Security Investigation Secrecy Law

Hong Kong police have used a specific secrecy provision of the national security law for the first time, arresting a 71-year-old man. Authorities accuse him of disclosing details of an ongoing national security investigation. The National Security Department arrested the suspect on Saturday. Police stated the enforcement operation targeted the alleged leak of investigative information. The arrest invokes Section 88 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. This section makes it an offense to prejudice investigations into crimes endangering national security. Police did not release the man's identity or specifics of the leaked information. The case marks the initial application of this particular legal provision since its enactment.