The court ruled that Ma Chun-man was promoting independence from China.

District Court Judge Stanley Chan ruled in October that former delivery man Ma Chun-man, 31, was guilty of inciting secession due to the slogans he chanted, placards he held and the statements he made to the media as quoted by CNN.

Interestingly, Ma Chun-man is known as 'Captain America 2.0' for holding the superhero's shield at rallies.

"The defendant was incited by some politician and he eventually became an instigator himself," Chan was quoted as saying by CNN, without naming the politician. "In this context, it's hard to guarantee there won't be other Ma Chun-mans."

Ma has so far pleaded not guilty and did not testify.

He is the second person to be prisoned under the law.

It was passed in 2020 after months of protests.

It reduces Hong Kong's autonomy and makes it easier to punish activists. Beijing insists that the widely criticised legislation is needed to bring stability to the city, but critics say it is designed to squash dissent in Hong Kong, reports BBC.