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Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil organisers jailed for seven years

Two pro-democracy activists, Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, have been sentenced to seven years in jail in Hong Kong for 'incitement to subversion'. They were found guilty in August 2026.

  • Chow Hang-tung, 41, and Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, received prison terms of seven years and seven years and three months respectively.
  • The court ruled the defendants intended to cause others to lose confidence in the Chinese Communist party.
  • The activists were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, which organised annual Tiananmen Square vigils.

Two pro-democracy activists, Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, have been sentenced to seven years in jail in Hong Kong. They were found guilty in August 2026 of 'incitement to subversion' in a national security case.

The court determined they had "incited other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the state power". Chow, 41, received a sentence of seven years and three months, while Lee, 69, was sentenced to seven years.

Both Chow and Lee were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, an organisation that for decades arranged the city's annual vigil commemorating those who died in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The Alliance disbanded in 2021.

Albert Ho, a 74-year-old former lawmaker who pleaded guilty in January, received a sentence of five years and two months in connection with the case.

The UK Foreign Office has stated it condemns the use of the national security law in convicting the two activists.

Why this matters: This case is described as one of Hong Kong's most significant national security cases and one of the last high-profile national security trials, as the national security law imposed in 2020 has impacted pro-democracy movements.

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