A Judicial Milestone for National Security
A Hong Kong court delivered significant prison sentences on Friday, September 11, 2026, to three prominent activists who for decades organized the city’s annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho were convicted of inciting subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law, marking a definitive shift in the city’s legal and political landscape.
Lee Cheuk-yan received a seven-year prison term, while Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to seven years and three months. Albert Ho, who had pleaded guilty to the charges, was sentenced to five years and two months. The trio had been in pre-trial detention since their arrest in September 2021. According to NPR, the court’s ruling centered on the organization’s historic demand to “end one-party dictatorship,” which judges interpreted as an intent to undermine the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.
Criminalizing Memory
The activists were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, an organization that for thirty years facilitated the only large-scale public commemoration of the 1989 military crackdown on the Chinese mainland. While the defense argued that their calls for democracy did not involve illegal means or violence, the court emphasized that the promotion of such agendas during “turbulent social atmosphere” posed a distinct threat to national security.
Legal observers note that the verdict effectively criminalizes peaceful political speech. Urania Chiu, a law lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, stated that the ruling confirms that even peaceful advocacy for democratic change is now treated as a serious offense, as the mere act of reminding the public of history is deemed hostile to the state. Amnesty International has designated the three as prisoners of conscience, describing the sentencing as an “affront to history” that illustrates the profound fear of dissent within the current national security framework.
The Erosion of Civil Society
The sentencing follows a broader trend of restricting civil society in Hong Kong. Since the 2019 protest movement, dozens of civil society groups have dissolved, and many leading activists have been imprisoned. The government, supported by the Hong Kong office of China’s foreign ministry, maintains that the national security law is essential for stability and that individuals cannot use “freedom of speech” as a pretext for unlawful activities. Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police’s national security department, warned that others should take heed of these sentences as a sign of the government’s resolve.
Despite the severity of the sentences, family members and supporters have indicated that the legal battle is not over. Elizabeth Tang, the wife of Lee Cheuk-yan, confirmed that they plan to appeal the results. For many in Hong Kong, the ruling serves as a final chapter in the city’s status as a space for public discourse on mainland history, leaving the future of political advocacy increasingly uncertain.