A court in Hong Kong, China, has convicted two pro-democracy protesters of subversion for mentioning in their meetings the need to "end the one-party dictatorship".
According to a Reuters report, Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, led a group (now disbanded) called the 'Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China', known for organising annual vigils to commemorate Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Both could face prison sentences of more than ten years under the 2019 National Security Law (NSL).
That law was enacted to significantly expand the powers of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments within Hong Kong, following months of pro-democracy protests earlier that year. Until then, commemorations of the Tiananmen protests had been tolerated in Hong Kong, but were subsequently effectively banned.
Lee and Chow had been in custody since 2021, when they pleaded not guilty to the charge. The appeal for a review of the convictions is due to begin later this month, but with the judges' decision having been unanimous, it appears that this sentence will serve as a warning to anyone who raises their voice against the single-party system in Hong Kong.