UK rights group threatened under China sweeping security law

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s foreign secretary has accused Chinese authorities of trying to silence free speech after a U.K.-based human rights group said Hong Kong police threatened it with a prison sentence and fines for allegedly violating China’s national security law. Hong Kong Watch said it received a formal warning from Hong Kong police accusing it of “seriously interfering” in Hong Kong affairs and jeopardizing China’s national security. The letter warned the group could face a fine of HK$100,000 (£9,800) and that its chief executive, Benedict Rogers, could face three years in prison. The move is one of the first times that a foreigner living abroad has been targeted under China’s sweeping national security law.