Three Hong Kong activists have been sentenced to prison terms of up to seven years for their roles in organizing annual vigils that commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The sentences were handed down under the city's national security law.
Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted last month of inciting others to subvert state power. Albert Ho, 74, had pleaded guilty to the charge in January. On Friday, Lee was sentenced to seven years in prison, Chow received seven years and three months, and Ho was sentenced to five years.
The national security law, enacted in 2020, makes a wider range of dissenting acts illegal. Authorities maintain the law is necessary for stability, but critics argue it has diminished Hong Kong's autonomy and fostered a climate of fear.
Lee and Chow were charged in 2021 and faced a potential maximum sentence of 10 years. According to a court summary, they were found to have "incited other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the state power."
For years, Hong Kong was one of the few locations in Chinese territory where public gatherings to mark the Tiananmen Square crackdown, a topic heavily censored on the mainland, were permitted. These gatherings were banned by Hong Kong authorities in 2020, initially citing COVID-19 policies, and have not resumed since.
Chow had previously stated that the law itself was on trial and, before her arrest in 2022, told the BBC she was prepared to face arrest and willing to pay the price for fighting for democracy.