Hong Kong’s Tiananmen activists found guilty of inciting subversion

A Hong Kong court has convicted two activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, of inciting subversion after organizing annual vigils to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, according to a press summary handed to reporters. The three-judge panel determined that both defendants had committed acts that amounted to overthrowing or undermining China's constitutional system, and they face up to 10 years in jail, with sentencing pending.

Lee and Chow, who were leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, were charged in 2021 under Beijing's national security law, which effectively banned public remembrance of the Tiananmen events. The activists' remarks were deemed to have been intended to incite others to commit unlawful acts, prosecutors argued, and they accused the two of endangering national security in the name of human rights.

A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, had already pleaded guilty in January, a plea that typically results in a reduced sentence.

Chow expressed her thoughts in a blog post ahead of the verdict, stating that justice lies in the hearts of the people and that a single verdict is of little consequence. She also noted that her treatment in prison had changed, with her now fully restrained while being escorted by staff.