Beijing slams West for criticising Hong Kong court verdict in Tiananmen vigil case

Two Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, leaders of the now disbanded Hong Kong Alliance, have been found guilty of "incitement to subversion" under the 2020 national security law. They organized annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. The court found their actions, including the slogan "end to one-party rule," intended to stir hostility and cause division, thereby subverting state power. A third defendant, Albert Ho, pleaded guilty earlier. Lee and Chow face up to 10 years in jail, with sentencing pending. This case is a significant prosecution since the national security law was imposed, effectively banning public commemorations of the Tiananmen events in Hong Kong.

Two prominent Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, have been convicted of inciting subversion under the city's national security law for their roles in organizing annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigils. They were leading members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which for decades commemorated the 1989 crackdown and campaigned for democratic reform in China. Prosecutors argued the alliance's slogan calling to "end one-party" rule incited hostility towards the Chinese Communist Party. Lee and Chow, who maintained their advocacy was peaceful, face up to 10 years in prison. A third leader, Albert Ho, pleaded guilty to the same charge. The convictions mark a significant prosecution under the national security law, which has been used to restrict political freedoms in Hong Kong.

A Hong Kong court is set to deliver a verdict for two prominent former Tiananmen vigil organizers, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung. They are on trial under the national security law for allegedly inciting subversion, charges they deny. For decades, the pair led the Hong Kong Alliance, which organized annual candlelight vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Prosecutors argue the alliance's call to "end one-party rule" was an incitement to overthrow China's leadership, while the defendants maintain it was a call for democracy. Observers view the trial as a symbol of shrinking freedoms in Hong Kong. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

Two Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, have been found guilty of inciting subversion of state power under the national security law. They organized annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. A third defendant, Albert Ho, previously pleaded guilty. Prosecutors contended the activists endangered national security under the guise of human rights. Hong Kong authorities banned the Tiananmen vigils in 2020, the same year the national security law was implemented, making a wider range of dissenting acts illegal. Lee and Chow were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, an organization founded to support pro-democracy rallies in 1989. Sentencing for Lee and Chow is pending.

Two former leaders of a now-disbanded Hong Kong alliance, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, have been found guilty of inciting subversion under the national security law. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China was convicted for advocating an end to "one-party dictatorship" in mainland China as one of its operational objectives. The convictions occurred at West Kowloon Court on Friday. Lee and Chow have been in custody for nearly five years, while a third former leader, Albert Ho Chun-yan, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty. The group's objective was stated as promoting democracy and human rights.