Tiananmen Square vigil organisers in Hong Kong found guilty of ‘inciting subversion’

Live updates

1. 23d ago

   Hong Kong court convicts Tiananmen vigil organizers of subversion

   The Hong Kong Court of First Instance found Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance guilty of a national security offense on Friday. The court convicted the organizers of inciting subversion in relation to their roles in organizing annual vigils commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown. This verdict follows years of silence for the city's public commemorations. While Amnesty International describes the convictions as part of a campaign to erase Chinese history, Hong Kong authorities have dismissed Western criticism of the ruling as slander.

   Why it matters

   The annual Tiananmen Square vigils in Hong Kong were a long-standing tradition that ended several years ago. These convictions occur under national security laws that have significantly restricted political expression in the city. Chow Hang-tung has been detained since 2021.

   What is confirmed

   • The Hong Kong Court of First Instance found Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and the Hong Kong Alliance guilty of a national security offense.
   • The organizers were convicted of inciting subversion.
   • The convictions relate to the organization of Tiananmen Square vigils in Hong Kong.
   • Chow Hang-tung has been detained since 2021.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Amnesty International claims the convictions are part of a campaign to erase Chinese history.
   • Hong Kong authorities characterized Western responses to the verdict as slander.
   • Tang Ngok-kwan, a former organizer, continues to discreetly visit former memorial sites.

   What to watch next

   • Sentencing hearings for Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and the Hong Kong Alliance.
   • Potential appeals of the Court of First Instance verdicts.
   Sources used for this update (14)

   1. The Guardian — Tiananmen Square vigil organisers in Hong Kong found guilty of ‘inciting subversion’
   2. CNN — Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil fell dark years ago. Now its organizers have been convicted
   3. PBS — 2 organizers of Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigils convicted in national security case
   4. Amnesty International — Hong Kong: ‘Dismaying’ Tiananmen convictions part of campaign to erase Chinese history
   5. BBC — Hong Kong's Tiananmen activists convicted in national security trial
   6. NBC News — Court convicts 2 organizers of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigils in national security case
   7. The Guardian — ‘She’s not afraid of anyone’: the prison writings of one of Hong Kong’s last outspoken democracy activists
   8. Reuters — Hong Kong court convicts Tiananmen vigil group leaders of inciting subversion
   9. AP News — Former Hong Kong vigil organizer strives to mark Tiananmen crackdown despite convictions
   10. South China Morning Post — Hong Kong hits back at Western ‘slander’ over verdict on Tiananmen vigil leaders
   11. WSJ — Hong Kong Court Convicts Activists Who Organized Tiananmen Vigils
   12. www.jurist.org — Hong Kong court finds Tiananmen crackdown commemorators guilty of subversion
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