Violators of national security won't be tolerated: CE

Chief Executive John Lee declared that those intent on inciting subversion and endangering national security would face punishment under the law, following the sentencing of three former leaders of the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance. The trio - Albert Ho, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Chow Hang-tung - received prison terms ranging from five years and two months to seven years and three months, with the group itself fined HK$1.5 million.

Lee emphasized that the law prohibits any open harm to one's own country and compatriots through deceptive tactics under the guise of human rights, democracy, and freedom. The court emphasized that the defendants' actions transcended lawful freedom of expression, constituting unlawful incitement to subvert state power. Lee highlighted that the court's verdict confirmed the severity of the offenses and the need for stringent punishment to uphold the rule of law.

The court explicitly stated that the Alliance's goal was to overthrow and undermine the Communist Party of China's leadership under the Constitution. The defendants aimed to erode public confidence in the CPC by sowing discord and division, thus undermining the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China. Despite the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the defendants persisted in their unlawful actions, seeking to subvert state power through the Alliance.

A government spokesperson dismissed malicious attacks and smears on this and similar cases from various western countries and anti-China organizations, asserting that the defendants received a fair trial based on their political beliefs.