Hong Kong passes Article 23 security law with sweeping powers
HONG KONG -- Lawmakers in Hong Kong passed comprehensive national security legislation by a unanimous vote on Tuesday, ushering the city into a new and uncertain legal era.
The law's many provisions allow, for example, authorities to detain and punish anyone found to have "intent" to endanger national security, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment -- the harshest possible sentence in the city's judicial system.