Hong Kong court convicts two Tiananmen vigil organizers of subversion

A Hong Kong court has convicted two former organizers of the city's annual Tiananmen Square vigil on charges of inciting subversion, in a case brought under the national security law imposed by Beijing.

Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were found guilty by a panel of three judges on Friday. The alliance itself was also convicted. Both defendants had pleaded not guilty and now face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

The charges stem from the alliance's long-standing call to "end one-party dictatorship." The judges ruled that this slogan went beyond advocating for multiparty cooperation under the constitution and instead sought to undermine the leadership status of the Communist Party. They determined that the word "end" carried the meaning of "overthrowing" and "undermining" the party's constitutional role.

The verdict noted that the defendants persisted in this call even after the national security law came into effect on 30 June 2020, despite the law's explicit protection of the party's leadership as an essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Speaking outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court, Elizabeth Tang, wife of Lee Cheuk-yan, expressed anger at the outcome. "It's not a surprise but I'm really very angry," she said, adding that she believed her husband was not guilty and that the judges had not taken into account the arguments presented by the defence.

Medina Chow Lau Wah-chun, mother of Chow Hang-tung, offered a more reflective comment, saying she hoped for a healthier environment where "any plants can grow whatever color they are."

Chief Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the Hong Kong Police National Security Department said the judges had clearly pointed out that the defendants engaged in incitement over a prolonged period, including after the law's enactment.

For decades, the candlelight vigil in Hong Kong was the only large-scale public commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, drawing tens of thousands of participants annually. The event remains a political taboo on the mainland, where discussion is tightly censored and public commemorations are prohibited.