Hong Kong’s High Court convicted two pro-democracy activists of inciting subversion on Friday, a ruling that could lead to sentences of up to 10 years in prison under the city's National Security Law. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were found guilty for their involvement with the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, a now-disbanded group known for organizing annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
The court's judgment focused on the defendants' repeated use of the phrase “end one-party dictatorship,” stating that this specific expression, rather than other political actions or beliefs, constituted a breach of the National Security Law. The judges ruled that the activists intended to undermine the Chinese Communist Party's fundamental system by inciting hostility and causing division.
Prosecutors argued that the principle of the Communist Party’s primacy is enshrined in the Chinese constitution. Defense arguments, suggesting the defendants believed their actions were lawful given Hong Kong's traditional freedoms of speech, were rejected.
Lee and Chow, who have been detained since 2021, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Another former chairman of the group, Albert Ho, 74, pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Public commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests were once a symbol of Hong Kong's autonomy compared to mainland China but were effectively outlawed in 2020 with the enactment of the National Security Law. The law significantly expanded the powers of both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments following pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Mitigation hearings for Lee and Chow are scheduled to begin later this month. Chow, a barrister, was a prominent figure among younger pro-democracy activists, having attended Tiananmen Square protest vigils since childhood. Lee's wife, Elizabeth Tang, called the verdict "most unjust" outside the court, expressing disappointment and anger. "I don’t think he has committed any unlawful (acts)," she stated.