Hong Kong court convicts Tiananmen vigil organizers under national security law

A Hong Kong court found two pro-democracy activists guilty of inciting subversion on August 21, 2026. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung were former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, a group that organised yearly candlelight vigils to remember the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Both pleaded not guilty when they were charged in 2021. A third defendant, Albert Ho, had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. All three now face up to ten years in prison. The trial started in January 2026 and finished earlier than expected. China introduced its national security law in Hong Kong in 2020, and the vigils were effectively banned after that. Critics say the law has greatly reduced freedom of expression in the city.