Hong Kong affiliate national security case sentence: Zhou Zhuan 7 years 3 months, Li Zhuan 7 years, how to enter the chain of conviction of "incitement to subversion"

The High Court of Hong Kong on September 11 sentenced Hong Kong citizens to the national security case of the Federation of Citizens Supporting the Patriotic Democracy MovementZhou Jiangxi was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for "inciting crimes of subversion of the state regime", former President Li Jiangxi was sentenced to seven years; He Jianqi, who had previously confessed guilt, was sentenced to five years and two months.The case linked a decades-long public commemoration event in Hong Kong directly to subversive convictions and punishments under the Hong Kong National Security Act.

From the Windhouse Candle to the National Security Case: Who is the accused and what the court dealt with

The Association has long hosted the Six and Four Candles in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park. Human rights observation data showed that Zhou Zhang and Li Zhang were in theOn August 21, 2026, the High Court of Hong Kong ruled that the "crime of incitement to subversion of the state regime" was established.He has previously pleaded guilty to the same crime.The sentence of September 11 officially determined the sentence of the three.

Amnesty International said the two had been detained since September 2021 and had repeatedly refused bailout in connection with the Federation’s case; the organization listed the two as “conscience prisoners” and believed that their activities fall within the scope of the rights of speech, association and peaceful assembly.

The legal framework between the prosecutor and the court: the focus is not on a separate party

The legal core of the case is the provisions of the Hong Kong National Security Act on subversion of the state regime. Human Rights Watch summarized after the judgment of the case that the "subversion" referred to in Article 22 of the National Security Act involves the implementation of related acts by force, threat of use of force or other illegal means defined by law. The court eventually determined that Zhou Zhuang and Li Zhuang's acts met the criteria of "incitement to subversion".

Therefore, the case cannot simply be understood as “attending a six-and-four-day meeting and being sentenced to seven years.” The defendant faces incitement and subversion charges under the National Security Act, and the court makes a comprehensive legal assessment of the Association’s long-standing political claims, organizational activities and related behaviour. At the same time, the International Human Rights Organization raises fundamental objections to the application of this law, arguing that peaceful memory and political expression should not therefore be criminalized.

What has changed in 30 years of public memorial space?

The Association has long organized Hong Kong Fourth Anniversary events since the 1990s. 2019 was its last large-scale Wiggong Candlestick Party; in 2020 and 2021, the authorities banned associated rallies for public health reasons. Following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Act in 2020, the legal environment of Hong Kong's political and public rallies changed further; the Association subsequently dissolved, and the Wiggong Fourth Anniversary events were no longer held in the past in the scale and form.

This timeline gives the case public significance beyond the individual sentences of three defendants: the same commemorative event has long been held publicly, and subsequently, under the new national security legal framework, its organizers have been prosecuted and convicted for inciting subversion crimes for wider political claims and activities.

Why International Human Rights Organizations Oppose the Judgment

Amnesty International said on September 11 that the sentencing of Zhou Zhang and Li Qian showed a significant change in the scope of the Hong Kong national security system’s application to peaceful political activities and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the two.

These assessments represent the legal and human rights positions of international human rights organizations. The Hong Kong government and national security legal systems maintain national security and prevent subversive actions of state regimes as the legislative and enforcement basis. When reporting both, it is necessary to distinguish between the legal judges made by the courts, the government’s national security claims, and the criticism made by international organizations in accordance with international human rights standards.

The chain of responsibility behind the number of sentences: from National People’s Congress legislation to Hong Kong court judges

The Hong Kong National Security Law was formulated by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in 2020 and implemented in Hong Kong. Since then, the Hong Kong Police Department is responsible for investigating and detaining relevant cases, the Law Department is responsible for prosecution, and the National Security Law designates a judge responsible for dealing with relevant cases.

The professional records of this chain of responsibility should specify the statutory functions undertaken by the agencies separately, rather than mixing legislation, investigation, prosecution and judgment into one subject.The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall assume institutional responsibilities at the legislative level of the National Security Law; the Hong Kong law enforcement and prosecution authorities shall assume the functions of handling specific cases; and the courts shall judge charges, evidence and punishment.

Six-four memories become the unavoidable background in this case

After June 4, 1989, a violent repression of the democratic movement occurred in Beijing. Since then, the mainland of China has imposed strict restrictions on public commemorations and discussions for a long time. Hong Kong has retained large-scale public commemorative spaces for a considerable period of time.

For this reason, the impact of the CCP was not limited to the three defendants. It also recorded changes in the institutions from the long-term legal public holding of the Hong Kong Fourth Public Commemoration, to the cessation of activities, dissolving organizations, and organizing leaders sentenced for accusations of the National Security Law. This case provides a concrete and traceable judicial hub for studying the changes in civil society, political expression and historical memory space after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

As of September 11, the sentences for Zhou Jian, Li Chuan and Hu Jian have been sentenced by the court. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both publicly opposed the relevant convictions and punishments. Following is the progress of the appeal, the court’s full interpretation of what constitutes “incitement to subversion,” and how this judgment will affect future cases of memory, association and political expression.