A Hong Kong court has convicted veteran pro-democracy activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung of inciting subversion in a major national security case linked to the city’s long-running commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
The two former leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China were accused of using their organisation and public activities to encourage opposition to China’s Communist Party leadership. Both had denied the charges.
The verdict is among the most significant cases involving Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement since Beijing introduced the territory’s national security law in 2020.
Activists Face Up to 10 Years in Prison
Lee, 69, and Chow, 41, were charged in 2021 under the national security legislation. Prosecutors argued that their calls to bring an end to one-party rule amounted to an attempt to undermine China’s political system.
The court accepted the prosecution’s argument that the activists’ repeated political messaging could encourage hostility towards the Chinese Communist Party and threaten the established constitutional order.
Both defendants face a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years, although sentencing will take place separately. A third former Alliance leader, Albert Ho, pleaded guilty earlier in the proceedings.
Lee and Chow have remained in custody since their arrests in 2021, making the case one of the longest-running national security prosecutions involving prominent figures from Hong Kong’s former pro-democracy movement.
Tiananmen Vigil Became a Symbol of Hong Kong’s Freedoms
For more than three decades, the Hong Kong Alliance helped organise an annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to remember those killed during the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing.
The gathering became one of the largest public commemorations of the events held in Chinese territory and regularly drew large crowds. The vigil was eventually prohibited by Hong Kong authorities, while the Alliance itself was dissolved amid increasing pressure on civil society organisations.
Chow, who is a barrister and represented herself during the trial, argued that the case was fundamentally about freedom of expression and the right to preserve historical memory. She maintained that advocating political reform should not automatically be treated as an attempt to overthrow the state.
The conviction comes as Hong Kong faces continuing international scrutiny over the impact of national security laws on political activity, civil society and freedom of expression.
Human rights organisations have criticised the use of subversion laws against peaceful activists, arguing that the prosecution of Tiananmen remembrance organisers could further discourage public discussion of the 1989 crackdown and Hong Kong’s political history.
