Hong Kong court hands stiff jail sentences to Tiananmen vigil activists
Convictions came under draconian national security law imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 following huge protests.
A Hong Kong court has sentenced three activists to five to seven years in prison for their roles in organising a vigil marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were both sentenced on Friday to seven years for inciting subversion. Albert Ho, 74, was sentenced to five years and two months, having pleaded guilty in January.
The United Nations, rights groups, and foreign governments condemned the convictions under the draconian national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong following huge pro-democracy protests in 2020, which has suppressed civil liberties in the city that previously enjoyed greater freedoms than in mainland China.
Lee is the former chair of the Hong Kong Alliance. Chow is a former vice-chair. Both have been in custody since pleading not guilty in 2021.