Explainer: Hong Kong’s national security crackdown – month 74

In August, two prominent activists, Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, were found guilty of incitement to subversion under Hong Kong's national security law. The activists, former leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were convicted alongside the organization itself. The group was known for organizing annual vigils in Hong Kong's Victoria Park to mourn the victims of China's 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and to advocate for the country's democratisation.

Chow, who was present in court on August 21, was told by the judge that the conviction effectively stated that "pursuing democracy is a crime." However, she was prevented from delivering her full mitigation statement. Meanwhile, 11 of the 47 activists jailed in the "Hong Kong 47" national security case were granted leave to appeal to the city's top court on August 10.

These individuals, including journalist-turned-activist Gwyneth Ho and former League of Social Democrats chair "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, were sentenced in the landmark case for conspiracy to commit subversion.