Hong Kong Watch condemns sentencing of Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil leaders

Hong Kong Watch condemns today’s sentencing of Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho Chun-yan, former leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, following their conviction for ‘inciting subversion’ under the Hong Kong National Security Law. The Alliance organised annual Tiananmen Square massacre candlelight vigils in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park for three decades, until they were banned in 2020 and 2021.

Barrister Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison, and former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan to 7 years. Both of them pleaded not guilty to the charge and stood trial in January. They were convicted along with the Alliance itself last month, with the case hinging on their operational goal ‘end one-party dictatorship’. Albert Ho, also a former lawmaker, was sentenced to 5 years and 2 months in prison. He pleaded guilty when the trial began.

Chow, Lee and Ho have been remanded in custody for over three years since their arrests in September 2021, more than five times the average pre-trial detention period for national security cases in Hong Kong. In 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Chow’s detention arbitrary and called for her release.

At the end of last month, the three organisers appeared before a panel of handpicked national security judges for a mitigation hearing. Chow, representing herself, began her mitigation statement by asserting that the court’s judgment ‘boils down to saying that pursuing democracy is a crime.’ She was interrupted by the judge several times and unable to read out her statement in full.

Megan Khoo, Policy Director of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“The sentencing of the three Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil leaders is yet another affront to the rule of law. These brave individuals have been locked up simply for pursuing democracy and justice while exposing the fragility of a regime that fears subversion by candlelight.

This case perpetuates the National Security Law’s aggressive assault on fundamental freedoms and rights. International governments must hold Hong Kong officials accountable for violating their obligations under international law, and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho.”

香港監察譴責支聯會國安案判刑侮辱法治  呼籲各國政府要求釋放鄒幸彤、李卓人、何俊仁

香港監察譴責今日對支聯會前正副主席李卓人、鄒幸彤和何俊仁的判刑，三人被裁定《國家安全法》下「煽動顛覆國家政權」罪成。支聯會解散前連續三十年在維園舉辦年度「六四」燭光晚會，直至2020年和2021年被禁止舉辦。

大律師鄒幸彤被判處7年3個月監禁，前立法會議員李卓人則被判處7年監禁。兩人均否認控罪，今年1月上庭受審。他們和支聯會上月被定罪，案件取決於支聯會的「結束一黨專政」綱領。同樣是前立法會議員的何俊仁在案件開審當日認罪，被判處5年2個月監禁。

鄒幸彤、李卓人和何俊仁自2021年9月被捕以來已被還押超過三年，是香港國安案件平均審前羈押時間的五倍以上。 2023年，聯合國任意拘留問題工作小組裁定當局對鄒幸彤的拘留屬「任意性質」，並呼籲釋放她。

《國安法》指定法官上月底處理求情，三人出庭應訊。自辯的鄒幸彤陳詞時首先指出，法庭的判詞「講嚟講去就係追求⺠主有罪」。她多次被法官打斷，未能完整宣讀陳情文。

香港監察政策總監Megan Khoo表示：

「三位支聯會領袖的判刑又一次侮辱法治。這些勇敢港人被關入監獄，純粹是因為追求民主與公義，同時暴露一個懼怕被燭光顛覆的政權何等脆弱。

本案延續了《國安法》對基本自由與權利的肆意攻擊。各國政府必須追究香港官員違反國際法義務的責任，並要求立即無條件釋放鄒幸彤、李卓人和何俊仁。」

Photo: Stand News, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons