2 organizers of Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigils convicted in national security case

Two former leaders of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement have been found guilty of inciting subversion under China's national security law, according to a verdict delivered by government-appointed judges on Friday. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, once prominent figures in the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were convicted in 2021 for urging others to overthrow the communist leadership.

The trio were handed a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. The alliance itself was also found guilty of the same charge. The judges determined that the alliance's call for an end to one-party dictatorship did not seek to dismantle the ruling Communist Party's constitutional position, but rather aimed to remove its leadership status.

The judges argued that the word "end" in the alliance's call implied overthrowing and undermining the party. The verdict highlighted that the defendants continued to use the phrase after the introduction of the national security law, disregarding its implications.