Hong Kong Activists Sentenced to 7 Years for Tiananmen Vigils
Three Hong Kong activists who organised annual vigils commemorating Beijing’s 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protests have been handed prison sentences of up to seven years.
Lee Cheuk‑yan (69), Chow Hang‑tung (41) and Albert Ho (74) were convicted last month of inciting others to subvert state power under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law. Their sentences—seven, seven years and three months for Lee and Chow, and five years for Ho—follow charges that they promoted slogans against the Chinese Communist Party.
The trio were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, founded in May 1989 to support pro‑democracy students. Their annual vigils, which attracted over 100,000 people, were banned in 2020 under Covid‑19 rules but not resumed, and the national security law was enacted the same year.
During the court hearing, Lee and Chow stood smiling at the gallery; Lee later appeared to pray, while Chow blew a kiss to observers. The court’s summary said the activists had incited others to commit unlawful acts aimed at subverting state power.
Both organisers had previously prepared to be arrested. Chow had told the BBC before her 2022 arrest that she was “prepared to be arrested” and “would pay the price for fighting for democracy.”
Lee’s wife, Elizabeth Tang, called the verdict a sad day and announced a planned appeal. Chow’s mother warned the public not to “lose heart” after the sentencing.
The Hong Kong Alliance was fined HK$1.5 million ($191,000; £142,000) as part of the proceedings, a move seen by human‑rights groups as an attempt to cripple civil society.
“This sentencing is a triple tragedy: for the activists being unjustly punished; the survivors and victims of the Tiananmen crackdown itself; and the generations of Hong Kongers denied the space to discuss one of the most consequential events in modern Chinese history,” said Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks.
“The harsh sentences against peaceful Tiananmen vigil organisers expose the cruelty and insecurity of a government afraid of memory and the people,” Human Rights Watch added.
