HK Alliance subversion sentencing due within two weeks

A High Court judge announced that sentencing will take place for the group responsible for the June 4th vigils and its past leaders within two weeks. This comes after a hearing on Friday where mitigation pleas were heard in their case of incitement to subversion. The individuals involved include Lee Cheuk‑yan, Chow Hang‑tung, as well as the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.

They were found guilty of violating the National Security Law by persistently calling for an end to "one-party dictatorship" between July 2020 and September 2021. Former alliance vice-chairman Albert Ho had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. In mitigation, Lee and Ho's defense attorney argued that the defendants' advocacy did not involve violence, requesting a sentence within the lower range of five years or less.

However, High Court judge Alex Lee stated that Ho, having pleaded guilty after the committal proceedings, would not be eligible for the full one-third reduction in sentence for a guilty plea. Chow, who represented herself, maintained that advocating for democracy is not a crime and did not show remorse. Judge Lee confirmed the sentences will be delivered within two weeks, adding that only a fine can be imposed on the now-defunct alliance, but the court must consider its financial capability.