Three former leaders of Hong Kong’s Hong Kong Alliance were handed prison sentences on Friday for organising annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Lee Cheuk‑yan, 69, received seven years, Chow Hang‑tung, 41, seven years and three months, and Albert Ho, 74, who pleaded guilty, five years.
The convictions stem from charges of inciting others to subvert state power under the city’s national security law, which was enacted in 2020 and expands the range of prohibited dissent. The defendants were charged in 2021 and faced up to ten years if convicted.
During the sentencing, Lee appeared to pray as he was escorted out of the dock, while Chow blew a kiss to the audience. Ho wore a serious expression throughout the proceedings.
Lee’s wife, Elizabeth Tang, called the day a “sad day” and said he would appeal. Chow’s mother, Medina, urged the public not to lose heart. The court also fined the Hong Kong Alliance HK$1.5 million ($191,000).
International human‑rights bodies have condemned the sentences. The United Nations human rights chief called for them to be quashed, while Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch described the rulings as a “triple tragedy” and a sign of government fear of memory.
These vigils, once attracting more than 100,000 people, were banned by Hong Kong authorities in 2020 under Covid‑19 restrictions. The national security law now criminalises a wider array of dissenting acts, raising concerns about Hong Kong’s autonomy and the safety of public protest.
Next steps will see the activists appeal their sentences, while the Hong Kong Alliance continues to call for accountability for the 1989 crackdown.
