The top court in Hong Kong overturned the convictions of three former organizers of an annual vigil in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Chow Hang-tung, Tang Ngok-kwan, and Tsui Hon-kwong were convicted in 2023 but have already served their sentence. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, known for organizing candlelight vigils, disbanded in 2021 under pressure from China’s national security law. The case raised concerns about shrinking civil liberties in Hong Kong, despite promises made when the UK handed over the territory in 1997.
The judges ruled in favor of the trio, stating that the prosecution failed to prove that the alliance was a foreign agent. The redacted crucial details in the case prevented a fair trial for the appellants. Tang expressed hope that the ruling would show the alliance was not a foreign agent and that they could prove the 1989 movement was not a counter-revolutionary riot.
Several non-permanent overseas judges resigned from the top court since the security law was introduced, raising doubts about the judiciary’s independence. Pro-democracy activist Tam Tak-chi’s attempt to overturn his sedition convictions was also dismissed on Thursday. The colonial-era law he was charged under was repealed last year, replaced by a new security law that critics fear will further limit freedoms in Hong Kong. Despite the ban on the annual vigil, pro-Beijing groups organized events in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, detaining those who tried to commemorate the event. Chow and other former alliance leaders remain in custody, awaiting trial under the security law.
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