Hong Kong speech therapists sentenced to 19 months for books

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court has sentenced five speech therapists to nearly two years in prison for their role in the publication of children’s books deemed seditious. The penalties are the latest sign of China’s hard line against free speech and political opposition in the city following the 2019 antigovernment protests. Beijing responded by imposing a sweeping National Security Law and disqualifying, imprisoning or silencing political opponents, many of whom have sought asylum abroad. The five defendants have already been jailed for more than a year and may be eligible for early release under the terms of Saturday’s sentencing to 19 months. They had pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiring to print and distribute seditious publications.