Pro-democracy activists of the Tiananmen Square uprising memory, convicted for "incitement to subversion" in Hong Kong

On August 21, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, organizers of vigils dedicated to the Tiananmen Square crackdown, were sentenced in Hong Kong for "inciting subversion."

The trial, criticized by human rights defenders, is seen as a sign of the erosion of freedoms in the former British colony. Public commemorations of the 1989 repression have been banned since the imposition of the national security law in 2020. The two activists, members of the Hong Kong Alliance, were accused of inciting illegal actions to overthrow state power.

The sentence will be announced later, and the activists face up to ten years in prison. Chow Hang-tung highlighted the harsh conditions of detention and stated that justice must come from the hearts of the people.

Their conviction is seen as an attempt to curtail freedom of expression, and critics emphasize that any form of criticism of the state is now considered a threat.