Key facts
- Hong Kong's top court upheld a law criminalizing calls to boycott elections.
- The court ruled the law is necessary to prevent organized campaigns undermining the government.
- A former student leader challenged the law, arguing it violated freedom of expression.
- The court dismissed the challenge.
- The ruling stated the ban is proportionate to safeguard electoral integrity.
- The court also cited the need to prevent foreign interference as a justification.
Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal has upheld a law that criminalizes calls to boycott elections, ruling that such restrictions are necessary to prevent organized campaigns from undermining the government. The decision comes after a legal challenge by a former student leader who argued that the law violated the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Basic Law. The court dismissed the challenge, stating that the prohibition on election boycott calls is a proportionate measure to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and prevent foreign interference. The ruling affirms the government's power to restrict speech deemed harmful to its stability and electoral outcomes. This decision reinforces the legal framework that limits public discourse surrounding elections in Hong Kong, prioritizing governmental stability over broader expressions of dissent or political participation choices.