Five speech therapists were convicted guilty of publishing seditious children’s books by a Hong Kong judge.
Authorities believed that their novels, which are about sheep attempting to keep wolves out of their hamlet, included a blatantly political message.
After a two-month trial, a government-picked national security judge said their “seditious intention” was clear.
It comes amid part of a wider crackdown on civil liberties by Chinese authorities in the city.
The group of five speech therapists, who were founding members of a union, produced three cartoon e-books that some interpreted as trying to explain Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement to children.
“The seditious intention stems not merely from the words, but from the words with the proscribed effects intended to result in the mind of children,” wrote Judge Kwok Wai-kin in his judgment.