Hong Kong court hands stiff jail sentences to Tiananmen vigil activists

What the report says

A Hong Kong court has sentenced three veteran pro-democracy figures to prison terms of five years and two months to seven years over their roles in organising a public vigil for the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. According to Al Jazeera, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung each received seven-year sentences for inciting subversion, while Albert Ho was given five years and two months after pleading guilty earlier this year.

The case centres on the former Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which for years helped stage annual commemorations in Hong Kong. Judges said the defendants had crossed a legal line by calling for an end to one-party rule. The court also said the offence was serious even though no violence was involved and no timetable for political change was presented.

Al Jazeera reported that the convictions came under Hong Kong’s national security law, introduced in 2020 after large-scale pro-democracy protests. Rights groups, the United Nations and some foreign governments criticised the rulings, saying the law has sharply reduced civil liberties in the city. The verdict also included a fine for the now-disbanded alliance.

The sentences are expected to count time already served. Lee’s wife said he would appeal, while Chow told the court she had nothing to regret. The case is significant because Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigils were once a visible symbol of the city’s broader freedoms, but they have since been outlawed.