HONG KONG, CHINA (HRNW) — Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of prominent Tiananmen activists in Hong Kong, warning that the prison terms represent a serious blow to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right to remember historical events.
Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced lawyer Chow Hang-tung to seven years and three months in prison and fellow activist Lee Cheuk-yan to seven years for “inciting subversion of state power” under the National Security Law. Albert Ho Chun-yan, who previously pleaded guilty to the same charge, received a sentence of five years and two months.
The three were members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, an organization historically associated with the annual candlelight vigil commemorating those killed during the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
Amnesty International said the activists had been held in pretrial detention for years and described them as prisoners of conscience.
The organization argued that commemorating victims and calling for truth and accountability should not be criminalized and warned that the case demonstrates the shrinking space for peaceful dissent in Hong Kong.
For decades, large crowds gathered in Hong Kong to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown. Amnesty said the annual vigil was effectively criminalized after the introduction of the National Security Law and subsequent restrictions on peaceful assembly.
Amnesty is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the activists and for their right to appeal to be protected.
The organization also urged authorities to respect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, warning that imprisonment for peaceful activism can have a chilling effect on civil society and public discussion.
The sentencing has become another major international human-rights concern surrounding Hong Kong’s national-security framework and its impact on activists, journalists, academics and civil-society organizations.
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Disclaimer
This article is based on information and assessments published by Amnesty International. Legal allegations and characterizations concerning the Hong Kong proceedings are attributed to Amnesty International and are not presented as independent HRNW legal findings.
