Two former leaders of a disbanded group that organized Tiananmen Square vigils have been convicted of inciting subversion under Hong Kong's national security law. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung face up to 10 years in jail.
The convictions underscore the impact of Beijing's National Security Law on political dissent in Hong Kong, signaling a further erosion of freedoms and autonomy in the city.
Hong Kong's High Court has convicted two former leaders of a disbanded group that organized annual vigils commemorating Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were found guilty of "inciting subversion of state power" under the China-imposed National Security Law, facing up to 10 years in jail. The ruling judges stated that the defendants' repeated use of the phrase "end one-party dictatorship" breached the law. Another former chairman of the group, Albert Ho, 74, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China had led annual commemorations of the 1989 crackdown until the National Security Law was enacted in 2020. Lee and Ho have been detained since 2021, with mitigation hearings due later this month. The National Security Law, implemented in 2020, significantly expanded the powers of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments following pro-democracy protests in 2019. Critics argue the law has curtailed freedoms, while the government maintains it is necessary for national security.
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