Three former figures linked to the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China have been convicted under Hong Kong’s National Security Law.
Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung were convicted on 21 August, alongside the organisation itself, according to a statement from the European External Action Service (EEAS) issued on Friday.
A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, pleaded guilty in January.
The Hong Kong Alliance was known for organising Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen candlelight vigils, which previously drew more than 100,000 participants.
No such commemoration has been held in the territory since the National Security Law was imposed in 2020.
Detention and bail restrictions raised by EU
The prosecution was politically motivated and included prolonged pre-trial detention and denial of bail, the EEAS said.
It also added that Chow Hang-tung was subjected to repeated solitary confinement.
The EU urged Hong Kong’s authorities to maintain space for an independent civil society and to ensure freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the city’s Basic Law — Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.
The EU also repeated its call for Hong Kong’s authorities to respect the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, and referenced international obligations including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Sino-British Joint Declaration lodged with the United Nations.
