A Hong Kong court has convicted two prominent activists associated with the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China of inciting subversion under the city’s national security law. The ruling was delivered on August 21 by a panel of three High Court judges at West Kowloon Court.
The defendants, former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and former vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, 41, were found guilty of encouraging others to organize and participate in acts aimed at undermining the authority of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The court held that their calls to end the CCP’s one-party rule were in violation of China’s constitution, which, following a 2018 amendment, enshrines the Party’s leadership as a defining feature of the country’s political system.
The charges centered on the activists’ involvement in organizing annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. While the judges acknowledged that holding memorial events in itself was not illegal, they concluded that these vigils were used to rally support for efforts to subvert state power. The court stated that Lee and Chow intended to sow division by inciting public hostility towards the CCP, likening the 1989 crackdown to the suppression of the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Lee and Chow have been detained since 2021 and face up to 10 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled following upcoming oral mitigation arguments. Another former vice-chairman of the alliance, Albert Ho Chun-yan, pleaded guilty to incitement to subversion earlier this year and is awaiting sentencing after more than four years in custody.
Hong Kong government officials welcomed the verdict. A spokesman described the judgment as well-reasoned and accused foreign entities of attempting to delegitimize local authorities through misleading narratives. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu emphasized that attempts to disguise illegal acts with rhetoric would not exempt perpetrators from justice. Police National Security Department Chief Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah said the ruling clarified the constitutional basis of Hong Kong's legal order and offered guidance for law enforcement.
In contrast, the defendants and their supporters criticized the verdict. Lee’s wife, Elizabeth Tang Yi-ngor, expressed anger, questioning the court's consideration of the defense’s evidence. Chow’s mother conveyed hope for continued advocacy despite the ruling. The activists’ case has drawn condemnation from international human rights groups, which view the verdict as emblematic of eroding freedoms in the city and a suppression of public commemoration of Tiananmen.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council called for the immediate release of those detained, labeling the convictions as political persecution. Human rights organizations highlighted the judgment as part of a broader campaign to erase the memory of the 1989 events and silence dissent in Hong Kong. Legal experts noted the case signals a chilling precedent for civil society, where peaceful criticism of the state may be deemed unlawful.
This development marks a significant moment in the enforcement of the national security law introduced by Beijing in 2020, which has tightened restrictions on political expression and activism in the semi-autonomous city. The trial underscores the complex intersection of Hong Kong’s unique legal framework, its relationship with mainland China, and ongoing tensions surrounding democratic freedoms.