Key facts
- Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, were charged in 2021.
- They were convicted of inciting subversion under a national security law.
- The disbanded alliance was also found guilty of the same charge.
- The organizers face a maximum prison term of 10 years.
- Sentencing is expected within two weeks.
Three former organizers of Hong Kong's annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown appeared in court Friday to argue their sentences after being convicted of inciting subversion under China's national security law. Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho, former leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, face a maximum prison term of 10 years. The court is expected to deliver sentences within two weeks.
Judges ruled that the trio intentionally encouraged supporters to pursue the alliance's core demand of ending one-party dictatorship through unlawful means. Chow, representing herself, argued that pursuing democracy should not be a crime and that she would rather be a criminal than a hypocrite. Erik Shum, a lawyer for Lee and Ho, contended that their advocacy did not involve violence and did not change China's fundamental system.
The verdict and sentencing have drawn concern from foreign governments, who view it as a sign of declining freedoms in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government, however, maintained that the court considered only laws and evidence, asserting that rights and freedoms are not absolute. The Hong Kong Alliance was historically known for organizing large-scale public commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown, which became a political taboo in mainland China.