In brief
Three leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance, responsible for yearly vigils that remembered Beijing’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, were recently sentenced to up to seven years in prison. The defendants—Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, Chow Hang-tung, 41, and Albert Ho, 74—were charged under the national security law for inciting others to subvert state power. Their sentences of seven years, seven years and three months, and five years respectively, follow a conviction that critics say erodes Hong Kong’s autonomy and chills public dissent. In addition, the court imposed a HK$1.5 million fine on the Hong Kong Alliance, marking a sharp punitive response to peaceful remembrance. Human rights organisations have condemned the verdict as an assault on freedom of expression and collective memory.
The court in Hong Kong on Friday handed three former organisers of the Hong Kong Alliance—Lee Cheuk-yan, 69; Chow Hang-tung, 41; and Albert Ho, 74—prison sentences extending up to seven years for actions deemed to incite others to subvert state power under the city’s national security law. The cases stem from annual vigils that commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, an event heavily censored in mainland China.
Lee was sentenced to seven years. Chow’s term ran to seven years and three months, while Ho, who pleaded guilty in January, received five years. In addition to jail sentences, the court imposed a HK$1.5 million fine on the Hong Kong Alliance, the organisation that organised the vigils and called for democratic reforms.
The sentencing marked the first time the national security law has been applied against peaceful commemorations. The law, introduced in 2020, broadens the definition of dissent and has drawn criticism for eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy and creating a climate of fear. Human rights groups say the verdict crushes free expression and chills public remembrance of a pivotal event in Chinese history.
According to court documents, the defendants led activists to plan and participate in unlawful acts aimed at subverting state power. A key part of the trial centred on the “ending one‑party dictatorship” slogan, which the court described as inciting individuals against the Chinese Communist Party. In a personal moment, Lee moved to a prayer position before leaving the court, while Chow blew a kiss to the audience seated outside.
The sentencing was greeted by family members—Lee’s wife, Elizabeth Tang, who called the punishment “unacceptable,” and Chow’s mother, Medina, who urged the public not to over‑sadden or feel guilty. The verdict has been condemned worldwide, with Amnesty International calling the sentencing a “triple tragedy” and Human Rights Watch accusing the government of “cruelty and insecurity of a government afraid of memory and the people.”
