A Hong Kong court was set to deliver its verdict Friday in the national security trial of two prominent former organizers of the city’s annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, pleaded not guilty to inciting subversion, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The verdict is the latest development in the dismantling of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement under a security law imposed by Beijing. For three decades, the Hong Kong Alliance organized candlelight vigils that drew tens of thousands annually to remember the victims of the 1989 crackdown.
In 2020, the vigil was banned for the first time due to COVID-19, weeks before China enacted the national security law in response to massive anti-government protests in 2019. Observers view the trial as emblematic of the erosion of free expression in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Prosecutors argued the case was not political, focusing on the alliance’s call to "end one-party rule" as an incitement to overthrow China's Communist Party leadership through unlawful means. Lee maintained during the trial that this slogan was about advocating for democracy and allowing citizens to choose their leaders, not about ending the party's rule. Chow, a barrister who defended herself, stated that "ending one-party rule" signifies ending unchecked power and criticized the trial for inverting standards of right and wrong.
Chow described her experience of being shackled during transport to court, noting that "justice lives in the hearts of the people." She suggested that a single verdict holds limited significance.
The trial concluded its closing statements on its 24th day, faster than the initially scheduled 75 days. Another defendant in the case, Albert Ho, pleaded guilty earlier and is expected to seek a reduced sentence. If Lee and Chow are convicted, they will also participate in a separate hearing for sentencing.
The 1989 crackdown in Beijing, where tanks and troops moved into the city center, resulted in hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths. It was a critical juncture in modern Chinese history, establishing that market reforms would not be accompanied by political liberalization.
Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the former vigil site in Hong Kong has hosted carnivals organized by pro-Beijing groups. Authorities have detained individuals who attempted to commemorate the crackdown’s anniversary near the site.
Beijing maintains that the 2020 security law is crucial for Hong Kong's stability. Numerous prominent activists, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, have been imprisoned under the law, and dozens of civil society groups have disbanded. Prior to the alliance's vote to dissolve in September 2021, police had questioned the group's activities, suggesting it might be acting as a foreign agent. The alliance rejected these claims and refused cooperation, leading to a separate conviction for Chow and two other members in 2023, which was later overturned by the city's top court in 2025.