Chow Hang-tung, a prominent pro-democracy activist and one of Hong Kong’s most well-known political prisoners, is facing a potential 10-year prison sentence after being convicted alongside unionist Lee Cheuk-yan and lawyer Albert Ho. The convictions represent the latest developments in an ongoing crackdown by authorities following the large-scale pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong during 2019 and 2020.
Chow, who has already spent over five years in detention, was initially jailed in part for urging people to light candles in defiance of the city government’s ban on the annual Tiananmen vigil. Authorities have accused her of incitement, a charge that previously resulted in a 15-month jail sentence. In the most recent trial, she acknowledged the facts of the charge but maintained her innocence, arguing that her statements were not unlawful.
The charges against Chow and her co-defendants center on publicly challenging Communist Party rule in China and advocating an end to one-party dictatorship. However, Hong Kong court judgments emphasized that the defendants were tried not because of their political beliefs or criticism of the central government, but on legal grounds unrelated to democracy or the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen incident. This framing has been dismissed by observers as unconvincing, with many viewing the prosecutions as politically motivated attempts to silence dissent.
Hong Kong’s legal system, long influenced by British common law traditions, has undergone significant changes since the handover to China in 1997. Despite retaining British-era symbols such as judicial robes and wigs, the judiciary now operates under constraints imposed by the National Security Law introduced six years ago. This legislation broadened the government’s ability to prosecute political cases, often removing jury trials and assigning cases to selected judges, which critics say undermines defendants’ rights and favors convictions.
Chow, a 41-year-old former geophysicist turned barrister who studied at Cambridge, has been an outspoken critic of the current legal and political environment. Ahead of her verdict, she detailed harsh prison conditions, describing restraint measures that severely limit prisoner movement while dismissing claims of torture but highlighting the dehumanizing nature of incarceration under the new regime.
Support for Chow extends internationally. Among her prominent supporters is Tomoko Ako, a professor at the University of Tokyo who produced a 2024 documentary highlighting Chow’s activism and imprisonment. Ako is part of a group of 15 academics who have nominated Chow for the Nobel Peace Prize. Tokyo has become a significant hub for resisting the suppression of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
Chow’s case emerges as tensions escalate ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s scheduled visit to the United States on September 24, aimed at showcasing China’s global ascent. Hong Kong activists and advocates stress the importance of raising human rights concerns, including the imprisonment of figures such as Chow and 78-year-old newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai, who remains jailed for peacefully supporting democracy.
Despite the challenges she faces, Chow has rejected portrayals of herself as a victim. Instead, she asserts the significance of fighting for freedom within a system dominated by China’s Communist Party. With more than five years behind bars and continuing legal battles ahead, she remains a symbol of resistance to Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong.