Hong Kong Convicts Activists Behind Tiananmen Vigils
Via RFI
The Story
A court in Hong Kong convicted Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung of inciting subversion over the annual vigils they organized for the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
The three judge panel ruled the pair had urged supporters to use unlawful means to subvert state power, and that their calls to end one party rule breached China's constitution.
Lee, 69, and Chow, 41, led the now defunct Hong Kong Alliance, which held the vigils in Victoria Park until public commemoration was effectively banned after Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020.
Both have been in custody since they were charged in 2021 and face up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing expected after mitigation arguments next week.
A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, pleaded guilty in January.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany condemned the ruling, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said people should be able to protest peacefully without fear of arrest and prosecution.
Eric Lai of Georgetown said moderation of method offers no protection when the objective itself is held unconstitutional, and Amnesty International called the verdict a grim milestone for civil society in Hong Kong.
The three judge panel ruled the pair had urged supporters to use unlawful means to subvert state power, and that their calls to end one party rule breached China's constitution.
Lee, 69, and Chow, 41, led the now defunct Hong Kong Alliance, which held the vigils in Victoria Park until public commemoration was effectively banned after Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020.
Both have been in custody since they were charged in 2021 and face up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing expected after mitigation arguments next week.
A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, pleaded guilty in January.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany condemned the ruling, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said people should be able to protest peacefully without fear of arrest and prosecution.
Eric Lai of Georgetown said moderation of method offers no protection when the objective itself is held unconstitutional, and Amnesty International called the verdict a grim milestone for civil society in Hong Kong.
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