Hong Kong Court Convicts 2 Former Tiananmen Vigil Organizers in National Security Case

A Hong Kong court has convicted two former organizers of the annual Tiananmen Square vigil in a national security case, sparking widespread condemnation and concerns over the erosion of democratic freedoms in the territory.

The court found Chow Hang-tung, a 36-year-old lawyer, and Gwyneth Ho, a 36-year-old journalist, guilty of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly and failing to comply with a police order. The verdict has been met with outrage from human rights groups and democracy advocates, who see it as a further attack on the city’s autonomy and the rule of law.

The Tiananmen Square vigil, which commemorates the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, has been an annual tradition in Hong Kong since 1990. However, the city’s government has become increasingly hostile towards the event in recent years, citing national security concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chow and Ho were arrested in April 2021 for their roles in organizing the vigil, which was held despite a police ban. The court’s verdict has been seen as a major blow to the city’s democracy movement, which has been reeling from a series of crackdowns and arrests in recent months.