HONG KONG – A senior Hong Kong judge dismissed on December 6 the first legal challenge to the city’s new national security law, brought by jailed protester Ma Chun-man, also known as “Captain America 2.0” for carrying a Marvel superhero shield during 2019 democracy protests. Ma, convicted of “inciting secession” under the 2020 law, sought early release, expecting the typical one-third sentence remission for good behavior. However, a new 2024 law banning remission for national security offenders led to his denial.
Ma’s legal challenge argued that the new system lacked clarity, but High Court Judge Alex Lee ruled that the system was “sufficiently precise and certain” for prisoners to understand how to qualify for early release. Lee further stated that the new rules did not impose heavier penalties on Ma. The ruling reinforces Hong Kong’s strict adherence to its national security law, implemented under Beijing’s influence, which has been used to suppress pro-democracy activism.