Two individuals who previously organized Hong Kong’s annual vigil to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown have been found guilty in a national security case based on a law imposed by China, which effectively suppressed the city’s pro-democracy movement. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were convicted for inciting subversion under the national security law in 2021. They faced a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and maintained their innocence. The alliance was also convicted in the case.
The verdict stated that the alliance’s advocacy to “end one-party dictatorship” was not a call for the ruling Communist Party to return to a multiparty system under the constitution but aimed to eliminate its leadership position under the constitution. The judges interpreted the term “end” in the phrase as suggesting “overthrow” and “undermine.”
The judges noted that the defendants continued to promote this message even after the law was enacted, disregarding that it contradicted the constitution, which designates the party’s leadership as a fundamental aspect of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This was deemed as falling under “other unlawful means” according to the security law.
This ruling is part of a series of legal actions targeting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, which has been significantly weakened by authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China. The annual candlelight vigil organized by the alliance, which used to attract tens of thousands of participants to mourn the Tiananmen Square victims, was banned in 2020 due to the pandemic and shortly before the security law was imposed to suppress anti-government protests in 2019.
Lee and Chow, who are set to be sentenced at a later date, waved to the public gallery as they left the courtroom. Their trial is seen as emblematic of the diminishing freedom of expression in Hong Kong since its handover to China in 1997. Observers believe that the case reflects a broader erosion of civil liberties in the region.
The trial progressed swiftly and was concluded within 24 days instead of the anticipated 75 days. Albert Ho, another defendant in the case, pleaded guilty at the trial’s outset, a move that might lead to a reduced sentence. Lee and Chow are anticipated to seek leniency during a subsequent hearing and could be sentenced alongside Ho.
Following the conviction, Lee’s wife expressed disappointment and frustration, maintaining his innocence and criticizing the judicial process. The possibility of an appeal is being considered.
The crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, marked by the imprisonment of prominent activists under the security law, signals a significant shift in the city’s political landscape. Many civil society organizations, including the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, have dissolved in the wake of these developments.