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Hong Kong activists convicted of subversion over Tiananmen vigils
A Hong Kong court has convicted two prominent activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, of incitement to subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law. The two former leaders of the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The court also found the Alliance itself guilty of the same charges.
The convictions stem from the group's decades-long organization of annual candlelight vigils in Victoria Park to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Prosecutors argued the group sought to overthrow the leadership of the Communist Party by calling for an end to one-party rule. A third leader, Albert Ho Chun-yan, previously pleaded guilty to charges in January.
The verdicts have drawn international condemnation. The United States called for the immediate release of the defendants, while the European Union stated the convictions confirm a continuing deterioration of freedoms in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has defended the ruling, dismissing criticisms as baseless slanders and maintaining that the court acted strictly on law and evidence.
Amidst the legal fallout, activist Tang Ngok-kwan continues to discreetly visit former memorial sites to honor the victims of the 1989 crackdown, despite the disappearance of public commemorations and the imprisonment of former colleagues.
Entities
Chow Hang-tung · Communist Party of China · Hong Kong · Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China · Lee Cheuk-yan · Tang Ngok-kwan · Victoria Park
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United States condemned the Hong Kong court verdicts and called for the immediate release of the defendants. ntdca.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. ntdca.com · www.theindianpanorama.news · international.sindonews.com
- [● 7 SOURCES] Activist Tang Ngok-kwan continues to discreetly visit memorial sites to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. www.darnews.com · www.durangoherald.com · mymotherlode.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · toronto.citynews.ca · +2 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Hong Kong government condemned criticisms of the court's decision as baseless slanders. www.darnews.com · www.durangoherald.com · mymotherlode.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung were convicted of incitement to subversion. ntdca.com · www.theindianpanorama.news · international.sindonews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China was found guilty. ntdca.com · www.theindianpanorama.news
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The European Union stated the convictions confirm the continuing deterioration of freedoms in Hong Kong. ntdca.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Albert Ho Chun-yan pleaded guilty to charges in January. ntdca.com · international.sindonews.com