Hong Kong Alliance Leaders Enter Sentencing Phase, Chow Hang-tung Says Pursuing Democracy Should Not Be a Crime

Hong Kong Alliance Leaders Enter Sentencing Phase, Chow Hang-tung Says Pursuing Democracy Should Not Be a Crime

The former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho, have entered the sentencing phase. According to a Hong Kong government document, the three were found guilty or pleaded guilty to "inciting subversion of state power". The case involves the alliance's long-standing political demands, including "ending one-party dictatorship".

Chow Hang-tung's file photo. The picture was extracted from RTVE's report page, which originally noted the source as RTVE.es / EFE.

On August 21, the Hong Kong government released an official document confirming that the Court of First Instance of the High Court found the Hong Kong Alliance, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Chow Hang-tung guilty of "inciting subversion of state power". Albert Ho had pleaded guilty earlier. The court then adjourned the case to August 28 to hear the mitigation pleas. Readers can verify the original document of the Hong Kong government's announcement on the conviction of the Hong Kong Alliance case on August 21 through the attachment to this article.

Three Former Alliance Leaders Enter Sentencing Phase

According to an Associated Press report on August 28, the Hong Kong court heard the sentencing pleas of Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho. The three face up to 10 years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power".

The lawyers representing Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho argued in court that the alliance's past political initiatives did not lead to any actual change in the Chinese Communist Party's leadership or China's political system, and that the related activities did not involve violence.

This is a legal and factual claim made by the defense during the sentencing phase, and it remains to be seen whether the court will accept it.

Chow Hang-tung Insists on Democratic Demands

According to the Associated Press, Chow Hang-tung insisted in court that she had done nothing wrong and said she did not think she should be convicted for her political beliefs.

She stated that if the current law does not allow for these beliefs, she would rather accept the consequences of being convicted than give up her political stance. She also said that she would continue to push for the vindication of the 1989 democratic movement, an end to one-party dictatorship, and the promotion of democracy in Hong Kong and China, whether in or out of prison.

These statements represent Chow Hang-tung's personal political stance and court plea, and do not represent the court's or other institutions' factual findings.

Chow Hang-tung's file photo of an interview about the June 4th memorial activities. The picture was extracted from RTVE's report page, which originally noted the source as RTVE.es / EFE.

Court Rules "Ending One-Party Dictatorship" as Subversive

The Hong Kong government's ruling explanation released on August 21 stated that the court believed the alliance's long-standing demand for "ending one-party dictatorship" aimed to challenge the Chinese Communist Party's leadership in China's constitutional system.

The government cited the court's judgment, saying that the alliance and the defendants continued to promote these political demands after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, and spread related ideas through public activities, publications, online content, and other forms.

The Hong Kong government emphasized that the defendants were not being prosecuted for their political views themselves, but because the court believed their actions had reached the standard of "inciting subversion" as defined by the National Security Law. This statement represents the Hong Kong government's and the court's legal stance.

Case Sparks Controversy over Freedom of Speech and Political Participation

The Hong Kong Alliance had long organized the June 4th candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park. In the decades following the 1989 crackdown in Beijing, this event was one of the largest public commemorations of June 4th in China.

After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the alliance stopped operating and disbanded, and many of its former leaders were prosecuted.

Critics argue that the case reflects the continued shrinkage of Hong Kong's political expression space, where political goals that could once be openly advocated for may now be included in national security criminal cases. The Hong Kong government insists that freedom of speech, assembly, and association are not absolute rights and can be restricted by law when it comes to national security, and emphasizes that the court makes judgments based on the law and evidence.

Sentencing Result to Become New Benchmark for National Security Law

What can be confirmed at present is that Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho's case has entered the sentencing phase, and their conviction status has been publicly confirmed by the Hong Kong government and the court.

However, the final sentence has not been announced, so it is not possible to report any specific sentence at this time.

The subsequent judgment in this case will further show how the Hong Kong court balances non-violent political advocacy, historical commemoration activities, and the national security crimes defined by the Hong Kong National Security Law.

"Focus on China" will continue to track the court's official sentencing result and distinguish between the court's judgment, the government's stance, the defendants' pleas, and the international community's evaluation of Hong Kong's human rights situation.