Hong Kong court jails two Tiananmen vigil group leaders for 7 years

Two leaders of a pro-democracy group in Hong Kong have been sentenced to seven years in prison for inciting subversion, according to a court ruling on Friday. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted for organizing annual vigils to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. The vigils were previously legal in Hong Kong but became illegal after the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020.

Both activists were initially arrested in 2021 and have been in custody since. Lee's wife expressed her disappointment, stating that the sentence was unacceptable and that he would likely appeal. Chow's mother also made a statement, urging supporters not to feel guilty about the verdict. Another prominent activist, Albert Ho, was also sentenced to five years and two months in prison.

The Hong Kong Alliance, of which both men were part, faces a fine of HK$1.5 million. The trial was described by the National Security Police as fair and transparent, despite defense arguments that the defendants believed they were acting within legal bounds under Hong Kong's freedoms of speech.