A Hong Kong court wrapped up closing arguments Tuesday in a national security case against two former leaders who organized the city’s annual remembrance ceremonies for the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Judge Alex Lee, serving on a three-judge panel selected by the government, announced they expect to issue a ruling in July for defendants Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan. Both previously led the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.
The disbanded organization ran China’s only major public memorial event for decades, drawing tens of thousands of participants each year before authorities prohibited it in 2020 amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Both defendants were indicted in 2021 on charges of inciting subversion under Beijing’s national security legislation, which carries a potential 10-year prison sentence upon conviction. They entered not guilty pleas in January.
Legal experts view their case and the end of the memorial events as representing the erosion of civil liberties that Beijing had guaranteed when the former British territory was handed back to Chinese control in 1997. Officials in Hong Kong and Beijing maintain the security legislation is essential for maintaining order in the city.
During earlier court sessions, prosecutors emphasized the alliance’s call for “ending one-party rule,” contending the organization encouraged others to pursue illegal methods to topple China’s Communist Party leadership.
Chow, a lawyer representing herself, told the court Tuesday her case was “a very strange case” since the defendants haven’t disputed their actions or claimed their public statements didn’t represent their actual beliefs.
She explained that “ending one-party rule” refers to eliminating unchecked authority, noting a central issue is whether the law truly protects the Chinese Communist Party’s permanent governance while prohibiting citizens from advancing democratic reforms.
Chow contended the case has inverted normal standards of justice.
“Speaking the truth has become inciting hatred, seeking justice has become exploiting suffering, limiting power has become violating the constitution, and returning power to the people has become subverting the state,” she stated.
She warned that if the court doesn’t properly evaluate the reasonable impact of their words, it risks becoming complicit by allowing those in authority to commit wrongdoing.
Prosecutors argued Monday that rights to free speech, assembly and association have limits, claiming the defendants are trying to shift attention using human rights arguments.
Following both sides’ presentations, Lee stated Tuesday the judges cannot set an exact date but anticipate reaching a decision between mid- and late July.
The proceedings, originally planned for 75 days, progressed more quickly than anticipated. Tuesday marked the 24th day of hearings.
Albert Ho, another defendant in the case, admitted guilt when proceedings started in January. Guilty pleas often lead to reduced sentences.
Hong Kong’s yearly Tiananmen commemorations honored those killed during the 1989 suppression of student demonstrations, when military tanks entered central Beijing and troops used live ammunition. The death toll included hundreds or possibly thousands of civilians, plus dozens of military personnel.
Officials prohibited the Hong Kong vigil in 2020, citing COVID-19 health concerns.
However, once pandemic restrictions ended, pro-Beijing organizations held a festival at the former vigil location instead. People attempting to mark the anniversary near the site on June 4, the date of the crackdown, were arrested.
