Tiananmen vigil organizers found guilty of inciting subversion in Hong Kong
A Hong Kong court has found two prominent activists guilty of inciting subversion for their roles in organizing the annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil. This verdict marks a significant escalation in the government's crackdown on public dissent and commemoration of the 1989 event.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights the erosion of civil liberties and political freedom in Hong Kong under the national security law imposed by Beijing.
Two key organizers behind what used to be the only large-scale public commemoration for the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil have been found guilty of inciting subversion by a court in Hong Kong. The verdict is the latest chapter in a years-long crackdown by Hong Kong authorities against publicly marking the moment in 1989 when the ruling Chinese Communist Party sent tanks in to violently quell peaceful, student-led democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Chow Hang-tung, a prominent young human rights lawyer who conducted her own defense, and former opposition lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan were found guilty of inciting subversion at West Kowloon Court on Friday. They face a jail term of up to 10 years under a national security law imposed on the city by Beijing in 2020. A third activist, veteran pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Ho, had previously pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later.
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