Hong Kong's High Court convicted two pro-democracy activists of inciting subversion on Friday. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were found guilty based on their repeated use of the phrase "end one-party dictatorship" during political activities. Both individuals were former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, a now-disbanded group that organized annual vigils to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
The case centered on the China-imposed National Security Law (NSL), which was enacted in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. This law significantly expanded the powers of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments within the city. While public commemorations of the 1989 protests were previously legal and tolerated in Hong Kong, they were effectively outlawed under the NSL. Lee and Chow have been detained since 2021 and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In a 16-page ruling summary, three government-approved national security judges stated that the defendants intended to undermine the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by stirring up hostility and division. The judges rejected defense arguments that the activists believed they were acting within the legal protections for speech in Hong Kong. A third defendant, Albert Ho, 74, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Foreign diplomats from the United States and the European Union were present in court to monitor the proceedings.
For residents of Hong Kong, this ruling clarifies the legal boundaries of political expression. The court determined that advocating for the end of "one-party dictatorship" is a criminal act because it targets the fundamental system of the Chinese Communist Party, which is enshrined in the Chinese constitution. A person living in Hong Kong will notice that political phrases once common in public discourse and annual vigils are now grounds for long-term imprisonment. This sets a legal precedent that peaceful political speech can be classified as subversion if it is deemed to stir hostility toward the ruling party.
The verdict also signals the final legal status of the Hong Kong Alliance and its methods of protest, which were once central to the city's political identity. The knock-on effects include the further contraction of pro-democracy organizations and the potential for similar charges against other individuals who used similar language in the past. What happens next is a series of mitigation hearings for Lee and Chow, which are scheduled to begin later in August 2026. Sentencing dates have not yet been announced.