Hong Kong court sentences 3 Tiananmen vigil organizers to prison
Three Hong Kong activists have been sentenced to prison for organizing vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The sentencing is viewed as a significant indicator of the decline of civil liberties and political dissent in Hong Kong.
Why it matters
The case highlights the ongoing impact of Beijing's national security law on freedom of speech and assembly in Hong Kong.
HONG KONG — Three Hong Kong activists who organized annual vigils in remembrance of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were sentenced Friday to about 5 to 7 years in prison in a case widely seen as a barometer of the city's eroding freedoms as Beijing clamps down on dissent.
Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho were convicted of inciting subversion earlier this year under a Beijing-imposed national security law.
Lee received a 7-year prison term and Chow was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months. Both pleaded not guilty. Ho was given a lower sentence of 5 years and 2 months, partly because he pleaded guilty.
The trio of defendants was charged in September 2021 and has been held in custody for years.
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