Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Activists Sentenced to Up to Seven Years in Prison

HONG KONG — Several prominent Hong Kong activists connected to efforts to preserve public memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown have been sentenced to prison terms of up to seven years. The case marks another significant development in the territory’s long-running crackdown on pro-democracy and civil society groups.

The three former leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance were convicted under the Beijing-imposed national security law on charges of inciting subversion. The group had organised annual candlelight vigils commemorating those killed during China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Tiananmen Square.

Chow Hang-tung received the longest sentence of seven years and three months, while Lee Cheuk-yan was sentenced to seven years. A third activist, Albert Ho, who pleaded guilty, received five years and two months in prison. The Hong Kong Alliance was also fined HK$1.5 million.

For decades, Hong Kong hosted one of the largest annual public commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown. The gatherings became a symbol of the city’s freedoms and were attended by thousands of people before authorities moved to halt them following the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020. The Hong Kong Alliance later disbanded amid increasing pressure on civil society organisations and pro-democracy groups.

The prosecution focused in part on the activists’ longstanding call to “end one-party dictatorship,” which the court found amounted to an effort to undermine the leadership of China’s Communist Party. Lee and Chow had pleaded not guilty and are expected to challenge their sentences.

The case has drawn criticism from rights advocates and supporters of the activists, who argue that the convictions further restrict freedom of expression and political activism in Hong Kong. Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing, however, maintain that the National Security Law is necessary to safeguard national security and restore stability following the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019.

The sentencing is among the most prominent recent cases involving Hong Kong’s former pro-democracy movement and underscores the continuing impact of the national security legislation on political and civic activity in the territory.