Hong Kong Alliance trio jailed in subversion case
Bastillepost · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Former Hong Kong Alliance vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and former vice-chairman Ho Chun-yan were sentenced on Friday in the Hong Kong Alliance incitement to subversion case. Chow was jailed for 7 years and 3 months, Lee for 7 years, Ho for 5 years and 2 months after pleading guilty before trial, and the dissolved Hong Kong Alliance was fined HK$1.5 million.
Key Points
- Three National Security Law-designated High Court judges — Alex Lee Wan-tang, Johnny Chan Chung-hang and Anthea Pang Po-kam — handled the case and sentenced the defendants at West Kowloon Court on Friday.
- The charge said the Hong Kong Alliance, Lee, Ho and Chow incited others in Hong Kong between July 1, 2020 and September 8, 2021 to organize or participate in acts aimed at subverting state power.
- The court said the offence fell into the “serious” category despite no violence or threats of violence, citing the social climate, 14 months of activity, broad reach and the defendants’ influence.
- Judges set a starting point of 7 years and 6 months for the three individual defendants, saying they were all standing committee members and principal actors with broadly equal culpability.
- Ho received a 22-month reduction for his guilty plea, while Ho and Lee each got 3 months off for 21 years of public service; all three also received 3 months off for agreed facts and trial delays.
Why It Matters
The sentencing sets out how Hong Kong courts are applying the National Security Law’s two-tier penalty framework for incitement to subversion, including when a non-violent case is treated as “serious”. The court also left unresolved the handling of exhibits including the Pillar of Shame, saying that issue will be dealt with on a later date.