Hong Kong sentences Tiananmen activists to between 5 and 7 years in jail

Three pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong have been sentenced to between five and seven years in jail for national security crimes. The court rulings follow a trial that has been met with international condemnation. The activists, Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, Chow Hang-tung, 41, and Albert Ho, 74, were convicted under a national security law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong.

Their convictions stem from calling for an end to a one-party dictatorship during a 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Charged since 2021, the activists pleaded not guilty. Their convictions have drawn criticism from the UN, rights groups, and foreign governments. The trial highlighted the Beijing-imposed security law's impact on public commemoration of the 1989 crackdown in Hong Kong.

The activists, former leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, organized vigils in Victoria Park and operated a museum dedicated to the protests. The group's activities, including washing the "Pillar of Shame" statue, were banned following the security law's implementation. The statue was removed from its plinth at the University of Hong Kong in 2021 and subsequently confiscated.

The activists' actions were seen as an attempt to erase memories of the Tiananmen Square protests, with the Danish artist behind the statue, Jens Galschiot, expressing outrage over the potential confiscation.