Internet State

Three Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan (69), Chow Hang-tung (41), and Albert Ho (74), have received prison sentences of up to seven years for inciting others to subvert state power in relation to their organization of annual vigils for the Tiananmen Square protests. Lee was sentenced to seven years, Chow to seven years and three months, and Ho, who pleaded guilty, to five years; the court also imposed a fine of HK$1.5 million ($191,000) on the Hong Kong Alliance. These sentences follow years of escalating restrictions on public commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown, which was subject to extensive censorship in China.

A Hong Kong court sentenced three pro-democracy activists—Lee Cheuk-yan (69) and Chow Hang-tung (41) to seven years each, and Albert Ho (74) to five years and two months—under the national security law for their roles in organizing annual vigils commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The trio was convicted of "incitement to subversion" in August, with their disbanded organization, Hong Kong Alliance, fined HK$1.5 million ($191,304, €164,768) for its activities. These sentences have been condemned by international governments and rights groups, highlighting concerns over the suppression of free speech and political dissent in Hong Kong.

A Hong Kong court sentenced three pro-democracy activists, Lee Cheuk-yan (69), Chow Hang-tung (41), and Albert Ho (74), to prison terms ranging from five to seven years for their role in organizing annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, under the city's national security law. The sentences were seven years for Lee and Chow, and five years and two months for Ho, who pleaded guilty; the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance, which organized the vigils, was fined HK$1.5 million ($191,304). The convictions have drawn international condemnation, with rights groups and foreign governments criticizing the verdicts as unjust and a suppression of free expression in Hong Kong.

A Hong Kong court has sentenced three activists for organizing a vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre, with Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung receiving seven-year sentences for inciting subversion, and Albert Ho receiving five years and two months after pleading guilty. The court ruled that their actions contravened the Chinese constitution, emphasizing that despite the lack of violence, their offense was serious, and imposed a fine of 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars ($191,000) on the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. International condemnation followed the verdicts, as public commemorations of the events had been unlawful since the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020.

Three Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho, who organized annual vigils for the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, were sentenced to prison terms of 7 years, 7 years and 3 months, and 5 years and 2 months, respectively, under a national security law. The sentences reflect the broader repression of dissent in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy voices have faced increasing penalties; for instance, former media tycoon Jimmy Lai received a 20-year sentence earlier this year. Following the sentencing, both Lee and Chow expressed their intentions to appeal, highlighting the pervasive absence of free speech in the city.