Hong Kong's leader said Tuesday that people convicted on national security charges would no longer be eligible for early release for good behavior, under a new law enacted by the city's authorities over the weekend.
His comments came after local media reported that democracy activist Ma Chun-man, who was convicted in 2021 for "incitement of secession" and was expected to be released Monday, had been held back.
Hong Kong's massive and at times violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 brought hundreds of thousands to the streets demanding greater autonomy from Beijing.