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

A Hong Kong court has sentenced two pro-democracy activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, to seven years in prison each for inciting subversion. The judges emphasized their use of the phrase "end one-party dictatorship" in their political activities. Both activists were part of a group that organized annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, a symbol of Hong Kong's relative freedoms compared to mainland China.

These vigils were effectively banned in 2020 with the introduction of the National Security Law following mass protests. Lee and Chow, former chair and vice-chair of the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, had pleaded not guilty but were convicted under the national security law. Their wives, Elizabeth Tang and Medina Chow, expressed their disappointment and the activists' intention to appeal the sentence.

The Hong Kong Alliance faces a fine of HK$1.5 million. The trial was described by police as fair and transparent. China's National Security Office accused the activists of inciting hatred and attempting to overthrow the Communist Party's leadership. Pro-democracy politicians and Taiwan's government condemned the verdicts, calling them politically motivated and a means to suppress dissent in the city.