Hong Kong Court Rejects Request to Halt Trial of Tiananmen Vigil Organisers

Post by : Saif Nasser

Hong Kong’s High Court has rejected a bid by veteran pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung to stop her subversion trial, marking another major moment in the city’s ongoing national security crackdown. The decision means that Chow, along with two other former leaders of a well-known civil society group, will face trial in January and could receive life sentences if found guilty.

Chow, 40, is a former vice-chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. For decades, the Alliance organised the city’s annual public vigils to remember the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, one of the last large-scale commemorations allowed on Chinese soil. The Alliance has since been forced to disband after the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020.

The prosecution says Chow and the other leaders — Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho — used the Alliance to incite people to “organise, plan, commit, or participate in acts by unlawful means” with the aim of subverting state power. These alleged acts took place between July 2020 and September 2021. Under the National Security Law, this charge carries a maximum punishment of life in prison.

Chow, who is representing herself, argued that the accusations were unclear and unfair. She questioned what “unlawful means” actually referred to, saying she could not defend herself when the term was so broad and vague. She also said that wanting political change should not automatically be treated as a crime.

But prosecutors said “unlawful means” included any attempt to end the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, which they said would violate China’s constitution. One of the judges, Alex Lee, noted during the hearing that the prosecution’s definition was extremely broad, adding that “any attempt to end one-party rule is considered unconstitutional.”

Despite these concerns, the judges rejected Chow’s request to terminate the trial. They said they would explain their reasons a day before the full trial begins on January 22.

The case has drawn global attention because the Alliance was once a symbol of Hong Kong’s freedoms. For years, tens of thousands gathered each June to mourn the Tiananmen victims and call for democracy in China. But since the National Security Law came into force, all public Tiananmen commemorations have been banned. Many activists have been arrested, and several civil groups have closed down.

Chow and Lee Cheuk-yan have said they plan to plead not guilty. Albert Ho, however, has indicated he will plead guilty. All three remain in custody while awaiting trial.

As the court prepares for January’s proceedings, the case stands as another example of the tightening political environment in Hong Kong. It also raises questions about how far the National Security Law can be applied, and how it will shape the city’s legal and political future.