Two organisers of Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen Square vigil have been convicted of incitement to subversion under a national security law, in a case widely criticised as reflecting a decline in freedom of expression.
Key facts
- Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were found guilty of incitement to subversion.
- Both are leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, which organised annual vigils marking the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
- They were tried under a 2020 national security law.
- A court press summary said they incited others to subvert state power by unlawful means.
- Critics say the case exemplifies the erosion of freedom of expression in Hong Kong.
Two Hong Kong activists who organised the city’s annual vigils commemorating China’s deadly 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown have been found guilty of “incitement to subversion”, according to the Guardian and Sky News.
Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, are leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, the group that organised the decades-old commemorations. Both were tried under a national security law introduced in 2020.
According to a press summary handed to reporters and reported by the Guardian, the pair “incited other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the state power”.
Sky News described the two as organisers of Hong Kong’s “decades-old vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown” who were convicted under what it called a controversial national security law.
The case has been widely criticised as exemplifying the erosion of freedom of expression in the Chinese city, the Guardian reported. The vigils, held annually in Hong Kong, had for years marked the anniversary of the crackdown in Beijing.
The sources did not provide details on sentencing or any further legal steps following the verdict.
Why it matters
The convictions signal continued use of Hong Kong's national security law against activists tied to the commemoration of the Tiananmen crackdown. Rights advocates view the case as part of a broader narrowing of free expression and public dissent in the city.
Frequently asked questions
Who was convicted?
Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, both leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, were found guilty of incitement to subversion.
What law were they tried under?
They were tried under a national security law introduced in 2020, according to the sources.
What did the organisers do?
They organised Hong Kong's annual vigils marking China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The court's press summary said they incited others to subvert state power by unlawful means.