June 4 vigil leaders jailed over subversion

On Friday, the High Court sentenced three former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China to prison terms for their alleged subversion activities during the June 4th vigils. Chow Hang‑tung received a seven-year and three-month sentence, Lee Cheuk‑yan got seven years, and Albert Ho was sentenced to five years and two months. The Hong Kong Alliance was also fined HK$1.5 million.

The court held that the group continued to promote its agenda, including ending the one-party dictatorship, after the National Security Law (NSL) was implemented in July 2020. Judges Alex Lee, Johnny Chan, and Anna Lai deemed the incitement to subversion offence to be of serious nature, despite the lack of violence or any specific timetable to end the one-party dictatorship.

The judges cited six reasons for considering the offence serious, including the turbulent social atmosphere at the time, the defendants' continued activities for up to 14 months after the NSL's implementation, and their mobilizing power and influence in Hong Kong. The court emphasized that the NSL had no retrospective effect and that the defendants were convicted solely for committing acts of violation of the NSL during the charge period.

Under the NSL, serious offences carry sentences of five to 10 years in jail, while minor offences result in prison terms of less than five years. The three defendants, all former members of the alliance's standing committee, received a seven-year and six-month starting point for their sentences. They each received a three-month sentence discount due to substantial admission of the prosecution case, saving trial time and public funds, and reducing the trial's postponements caused by unforeseen circumstances.

Lee Cheuk‑yan and Ho received additional three-month discounts for their long public service, and Ho's sentence was further reduced by 22 months for pleading guilty after the committal proceedings.