‘People will be shocked and angry’: Relatives, friends of jailed Tiananmen activists decry ‘unjust’ sentences
Relatives of three Tiananmen vigil activists sentenced on Friday for inciting subversion have decried their years-long prison terms as “totally unjust,” and have said that two of the defendants will appeal. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were handed jail terms […]
The families and close associates of three Tiananmen vigil activists sentenced to lengthy prison terms have expressed their strong disapproval of the verdicts, calling them "totally unjust." Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, leaders of the defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, received seven-year and seven-year and three months sentences, respectively.
Albert Ho, the only defendant who pleaded guilty, was given a five-year and two-month sentence. Both Chow and Lee have vowed to appeal their convictions and sentences. Elizabeth Tang, Lee's wife, was visibly upset outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, expressing her shock and anger over the sentences. She noted that Lee has been in prison since April 16, 2021, and questioned how he could serve another three years.
Chow's mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that her daughter had stated that she felt "great" to represent herself in court and that she was proud to speak the truth freely in Hong Kong court records. The Tiananmen crackdown, which ended months of student-led demonstrations, occurred on June 4, 1989, with an estimated death toll ranging from hundreds to thousands of people.
Written by urgent.news from Hong Kong Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
