- Lee and Chow were charged in September 2021 and have been detained since then; they face up to 10 years in prison with sentencing at a later date.
- The court ruled that their slogan to 'end one-party' system sought to instigate hostility towards the Chinese Communist Party.
- Both Lee and Chow maintained their advocacy was peaceful and protected by freedom of expression guarantees, but they were convicted on Friday.
- This case is among Hong Kong's highest-profile prosecutions under the national security law and has renewed scrutiny of the erosion of political freedoms in the territory.
Two prominent Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted of inciting subversion under the national security law, facing up to 10 years in prison. The High Court's ruling on Friday marks a significant moment in Hong Kong's political landscape.
The pair, who have been in detention since September 2021, were leading members of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organized annual vigils for the Tiananmen Square victims. They pleaded not guilty, asserting their advocacy was peaceful and protected by freedom of expression guarantees in Hong Kong.
The court found that their organization’s slogan, calling to end one-party rule in China, incited hostility towards the Chinese Communist Party and undermined the political system established under China’s constitution. This case is among the highest-profile prosecutions under the national security law, which has drawn international scrutiny regarding the erosion of political freedoms in Hong Kong.
The authorities had previously allowed large public commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown, but gatherings were banned in 2020 and 2021, initially citing COVID-19 restrictions. Since then, such events have not resumed, reflecting the tightening grip of Beijing over the territory's political landscape.
“The case is among Hong Kong's highest-profile prosecutions under the national security law, renewing scrutiny of political freedoms. Lee and Chow, detained since September 2021, maintained their advocacy was peaceful and protected by freedom of expression guarantees.”
