Arabic version: إدانة ناشطين من هونغ كونغ في محاكمة أمنية مرتبطة بتيانانمن

According to BBC News, Hong Kong activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung have been found guilty of inciting others to subvert state power under the city’s national security law. The pair organised annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Lee, 69, and Chow, 41, face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is expected later. A third defendant, Albert Ho, 74, pleaded guilty in January. A court summary said Lee and Chow incited others to organise, plan, commit or participate in unlawful acts with a view to subverting state power.

Hong Kong had been one of the only places in Chinese territory where people could publicly gather to mark the 1989 crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. Authorities banned the gatherings in 2020, citing Covid-19 policies, and they have not resumed. The national security law also came into force that year.

Lee and Chow were leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, founded in May 1989 to support students holding pro-democracy rallies. Its leaders were charged in 2021 and have been in custody since. In court, Chow smiled as the verdict was read, while Lee made a heart gesture and folded his hands toward people in the gallery.

Amnesty International said the case relied on vague and overly broad definitions of subversion, while Human Rights Watch said the convictions showed how public displays of mourning had become a crime in Hong Kong. Authorities maintain the national security law is needed to preserve stability.