Three former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance were sentenced to prison for inciting subversion under a national security law.
Key facts
- •The Hong Kong Alliance organized the only large-scale public commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in China for 30 years.
- •The court found that the group's slogan, "end one-party dictatorship," constituted an attempt to undermine the ruling party.
- •Authorities banned the annual Victoria Park vigil in 2020, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
- •Elizabeth Tang, wife of Lee Cheuk-yan, stated that her husband plans to appeal the court's decision.
- •The sentencing follows other high-profile security law cases, including the 20-year sentence given to media tycoon Jimmy Lai in February.
A Hong Kong court sentenced three activists on Friday to prison terms ranging from five to seven years for their roles in organizing annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho were convicted of inciting subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law. The trio led the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which held the vigils for three decades.
By the numbers
Sentencing and Legal Context
Lee Cheuk-yan received a seven-year sentence, while Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to seven years and three months. Albert Ho received a five-year and two-month sentence, with the court noting his guilty plea as a factor in the lower term. The defendants were charged in September 2021 and have remained in custody since. The court ruled that the group's long-standing demand to "end one-party dictatorship" implied an intent to undermine the Chinese Communist Party's leadership.
Court Findings and Defense
The three government-approved judges acknowledged that the case did not involve violence or threats of violence. However, they stated the offense occurred during a "turbulent social atmosphere" and posed a risk to national security. The defense argued that the alliance did not advocate for illegal means and that their calls for democracy were not intended to overthrow the government. Both Lee and Chow intend to appeal their sentences.
Timeline
- 1989Military forces cracked down on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
- September 2021The three activists were charged with inciting subversion under the national security law.
- FridayThe court handed down prison sentences to the three organizers.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NPR World.
