A Hong Kong court has sentenced a man to three months in prison for insulting China's national anthem. Local media reports say he is the first person to be convicted of violating a law that bans insulting the song.

The court handed down the sentence on Thursday, saying the man deliberately disparaged the anthem at a public place.

The man, who is a reporter for an online media outlet, had been charged with insulting the anthem through booing and other means when it was played at a mall during a live broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics in July last year.

Crowds had gathered to watch the medal ceremony for a fencing event which a competitor from Hong Kong had won.

The National Anthem Ordinance passed Hong Kong's legislature in 2020 despite strong opposition from pro-democracy lawmakers.

Before it went into effect, spectators had often booed the Chinese anthem when it was played at soccer matches in Hong Kong.