Three activists in Hong Kong who had organized vigils to commemorate the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989 have been sentenced to prison terms. The sentences, ranging from five to over seven years, were handed down by a Hong Kong court on Friday. The case is viewed as a measure of the city’s freedoms as China tightens control on dissent.
Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho were found guilty of inciting subversion earlier this year under a national security law imposed by Beijing. Lee and Chow, who had pleaded not guilty, received prison terms of seven years and seven years plus three months, respectively. Ho was sentenced to five years plus two months, a lighter sentence than his co-accused due to his guilty plea.
The trio was charged in September 2021 and has been in custody for years. Hong Kong, once characterized by massive protests and a vibrant press, has seen a decline in civil liberties. The annual vigil held for three decades symbolized the freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” principle following its return to China in 1997.
Following the 2019 protest movement, public participation in elections was curtailed, and leaders of critical news outlets were prosecuted. Numerous activists were jailed under the security law, and many civil society groups disbanded, including the alliance that organized the vigils. Beijing justifies the security law as necessary for stability.
These sentences are the latest in a series of high-profile penalties imposed under the security law. Earlier this year, media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison.