HK duo found guilty of UK National Security Act offence sentenced

Bill Yuen, an office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of committing an offence under the UK's National Security Act.

British judicial authorities condemned Yuen for having engaged in espionage that threatened the UK's sovereignty, adding that his actions caused great distress to those he tried to surveil.

Yuen was found guilty last month of assisting a foreign intelligence service.

While fellow defendant Peter Wai, a former Border Force officer, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for the same offence in addition to one count of misconduct in public office.

The case involved the pair being accused of assisting Hong Kong intelligence services in tracking down certain activists who fled to the UK between December 2023 and May 2024.The Chinese embassy in the UK has called the case a political move and that the British government was abusing the law.

A Hong Kong government spokesperson responded that the British side has brought charges based on fabricated accusations.

The spokesperson said Yuen remains an employee and the Hong Kong government resolutely opposes the false allegations and smearing.