A Hong Kong court will hand down a closely-watched decision over whether to ban the broadcast and distribution of "Glory to Hong Kong," a protest song after the government asked it to do so in the name of national security.

The song was written during the 2019 anti-government protests and its lyrics call for democracy and liberty. But it has been mistakenly played at several international sporting events instead of China’s national anthem, "March of the Volunteers." The decision is expected next Friday.

Critics worry a ban will further shrink the city’s freedom of expression, which has become increasingly threadbare under Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement — and pose challenges to the operations of tech giants.

HONG KONG SEEKS TO BAN PROTEST SONG ‘GLORY TO HONG KONG’

Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and was promised it could keep its Western-style civil liberties intact for 50 years after the handover. But the openness and freedoms that were once hallmarks of the city have been eroding following the enactment of a Beijing-imposed national security law and other political changes.

Last month, the government sought an injunction to target anyone who uses the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China. It also wanted to prohibit actions that use the song to incite others to commit secession and to insult the national anthem, including such acts carried out online.

During a hearing Friday, Judge Anthony Chan heard arguments surrounding the potential ban, including the utility of the order, before reserving his judgement until next week.

Benjamin Yu, a lawyer who represented the government, highlighted the national security risks the song could trigger and suggested an order in favor of the government would make a material difference.

He pointed to the effectiveness of the injunction orders handed down to prevent protesters to disrupt the operations of the airport and railway network at the height of the 2019 movement.

HONG KONG SEEKS TO BAN PROTEST SONG ‘GLORY TO HONG KONG’

But lawyer Abraham Chan, who provided arguments to assist the court but not representing anyone in the case, said the national security law already existed, questioning why a civil order would work more effectively. Imposing the ban could be potentially counter-productive, he added.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association on Tuesday said the government agreed not to cover any lawful journalistic activities in relation to the song under its proposed ban after accepting the association's suggestion.

The Hong Kong government has tried to push Google to display China’s national anthem as the top result in searches for the city’s anthem — instead of the song — but to no avail.

Google told the government to present a court order proving the song violated local laws before it could be removed, according to Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong. The government therefore decided to deal with the matter by legal means, he said in an interview with a local broadcaster. Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Alabama executed James Barber Friday morning for the brutal beating death of an elderly woman 22 years ago, marking the state's first lethal injection death following a monthslong halt to review procedures.

Barber, 64, was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. He was convicted and sentenced to death for the May 2001 murder of 75-year-old Dorothy Epps after he confessed to killing her with a claw hammer at her home in the town of Harvest and fleeing with her purse.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Barber was a handyman who knew Epps through repair work and a previous relationship with her daughter.

Barber was arrested days after the murder and confessed his crimes to police in great detail. He admitted that "the crime was senseless and stupid" and that he deserved "to be charged and put to death" for committing it," according to the attorney general's office.

ALABAMA TO EXECUTE INMATE IN 1ST LETHAL INJECTION FOLLOWING MONTHSLONG HIATUS ON THE PRACTICE

The execution took place despite Barber's attorneys' request for a stay due to Alabama's failure "to carry out a lethal injection execution in a constitutional manner." The SCOTUS denied the stay near midnight on Thursday, which gave the state till 6 a.m. to start the execution.

"Justice has been served. This morning, James Barber was put to death for the terrible crime he committed over two decades ago: the especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel murder of Dorothy Epps," Marshall said in a statement Friday morning.

He continued: "I ask the people of Alabama to join me in praying for the victim’s family and friends, that they might now be able to find some sense of peace and closure."

Barber's death marked the first execution carried out in Alabama since last fall after Gov. Kay Ivey ordered an internal review of lethal injection procedures following a string of issues, resulting in a botched execution and two failed execution attempts between last July and November.

Ivey announced in February that the state was cleared to resume executions. The review resulted in the prison system growing its pool of medical professionals, ordering new equipment and conducting additional rehearsals, Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said.

ALABAMA GOVERNOR SETS JULY DATE FOR LETHAL INJECTION FOLLOWING TROUBLED PAST EXECUTIONS

In their request for a stay of execution, Barber's attorneys argued that his execution "will likely be botched in the same manner as the prior three."

AG Marshall's office urged the Supreme Court to let the execution proceed, adding that the victim's family has waited long enough "to see justice done."

He stated that the previous executions were called off because of a "confluence of events—including health issues specific to the individual inmates and last-minute litigation brought by the inmates that dramatically shortened the window for ADOC officials to conduct the executions."

Leading up to his execution, Barber had 22 visitors and two phone calls, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. His last meal consisted of loaded hashbrowns, a western omelet, spicy sausage and toast.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.