A Hong Kong court found two prominent pro-democracy activists guilty of incitement to subversion in a high-profile national security trial. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted by a three-judge panel after being accused of inciting other persons to organize, plan, commit, or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting state power. The defendants were former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which was also found guilty in the case.
Hong Kong Court Convicts Tiananmen Vigil Organizers
The charges stemmed from the group’s organization of decades-old annual candlelight vigils in Victoria Park to remember the victims of Beijing’s deadly 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. For three decades, Hong Kong and Macau were the only places on Chinese soil that permitted public commemorations for those killed when troops and tanks crushed protests calling for political reform. The alliance was founded in May 1989 with core tenets that included building a democratic China
and ending one-party rule.
Public vigils have been effectively banned since Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following massive anti-government and pro-democracy protests in 2019. Lee and Chow were charged in 2021 under the legislation and have remained behind bars since their arrest. Both defendants pleaded not guilty, while a third defendant in the case, 74-year-old former lawmaker Albert Ho, entered a guilty plea in January.
Prosecution Arguments and Defense Responses
According to state attorneys, the statements were intended to incite others to commit unlawful acts and endanger(ed) national security in the name of human rights.
Prosecutors focused heavily on the alliance’s demand to end one-party rule, asserting it constituted a call to overthrow the leadership of China’s ruling Communist Party through unlawful means.
Defense lawyers and the defendants themselves pushed back strongly against the allegations. Chow, a barrister who represented herself in court, argued that the law itself was on trial and stated that sooner or later the law will have to confront the fundamental contradiction between dictatorship and the rule of law.
The judges determined that both defendants committed acts constituting the overthrowing or undermining of the basic system established by China’s constitution. The panel’s press summary stated the accused encouraged others to subvert state power. Both Lee and Chow face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and are expected to be sentenced at a later date alongside Ho.
Broader Implications for Civil Society
Observers note that the verdict underscores the rapid transformation of Hong Kong’s legal and political landscape following the implementation of the China-imposed security law. The legislation has effectively dismantled the city’s once-thriving pro-democracy movement, leading to the dissolution of dozens of civil society groups, including the alliance itself.
Legal scholars and international rights organizations have criticized the proceedings. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International previously characterized the subversion charges as relying on overly broad definitions. Analysts suggested the outcome highlights the alignment of Hong Kong’s judiciary with mainland legal standards, sending a stern warning to anyone seeking to use public protests as a vehicle for free expression. Meanwhile, supporters and former vigil attendees gathered outside the courthouse under heavy police supervision as the verdict was delivered.
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