[REVISION HISTORY]

Subversion charges against activists in China and Hong Kong

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2026-09-11 14:26 UTC → 2026-09-11 22:14 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Legal actions involving charges of “inciting subversion of state power” have targeted activists and legal professionals in mainland China and Hong Kong. In mainland China, social activist Li Yuanfeng has been prosecuted by the Yiyang Intermediate People's Court. Li alleges that authorities have blocked defense lawyers from accessing case materials by classifying them as state secrets, despite Li’s assertion that his work regarding migrant worker rights and rural land issues is a matter of public interest. This follows the March 2026 sentencing of human rights lawyer Xie Yang, who received five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and “disturbing court order.” In Hong Kong, the High Court convicted the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and its leaders, Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho, of inciting subversion under the National Security Law. The court ruled that the group’s goal to “end one-party dictatorship” was an attempt to undermine the Communist Party’s leadership. The convictions stemmed from the group’s role in organizing annual candlelight vigils to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The court characterized the offense as being of a “serious nature” despite the absence of violence. Following their convictions, Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to seven years and three months, Lee Cheuk-yan to seven years, and Albert Ho, who pleaded guilty, to five years and two months. The Hong Kong Alliance was also ordered to pay a fine of HK$1.5 million. Amnesty International described the sentencing as a “triple tragedy,” while the United Nations and other human rights organizations have condemned the case as a sign of the “shrinking space for civil liberties” in the city.

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