Hong Kong Court Convicts Two Activists Over Tiananmen Vigil Calls

A Hong Kong court has convicted two prominent pro-democracy activists of inciting subversion, in a case closely watched for its implications on civil liberties in the territory.

Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance, were found guilty on Friday. The charges stemmed from their roles in organizing the city's annual candlelight vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, which also included calls for political change in China.

The pair had pleaded not guilty. They now face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a mitigation hearing yet to determine the final term.

In their ruling, the three judges stated that the alliance's slogan calling for an "end one-party dictatorship" was not a demand for a return to multiparty cooperation under the constitution, but rather an attempt to end the Communist Party's constitutionally mandated leadership role. The judges determined this constituted "other unlawful means" under the security law, noting the defendants persisted with the call even after the law's introduction in 2020.

The verdict is the latest in a series of legal actions that have dismantled Hong Kong's once-vibrant pro-democracy movement. For decades, the Victoria Park vigil was the only large-scale public commemoration of the Tiananmen events, drawing tens of thousands of attendees annually. The crackdown remains a sensitive topic on the mainland, where public discussion is tightly restricted.

The case has drawn international attention, with critics arguing it demonstrates the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong under the security legislation imposed by Beijing. The vigils, which were already banned during the pandemic, are now unlikely to resume in their previous form.