All articles tagged with #national security law
Two organizers of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, were convicted of inciting subversion under the city’s national security law, after fellow defendant Albert Ho had already pleaded guilty. The verdict, defended by authorities as upholding security, is seen by critics as part of a broader crackdown on pro-democracy civil society and peaceful remembrance in Hong Kong.
A Hong Kong court convicted veteran pro-democracy activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung of incitement to subversion for organising the Tiananmen vigil, a verdict tied to a broader crackdown on dissent under the national security framework; they could face up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing to come.
Two Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, were found guilty of incitement to subversion for organizing the annual Tiananmen vigil; sentencing is pending, while a third defendant, Albert Ho, has pleaded guilty. The verdict underscores Beijing’s tight control under the national security law and the ongoing crackdown on civil society in Hong Kong, drawing criticism from Amnesty International over the broad use of subversion charges.
Two Hong Kong activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, were found guilty of inciting others to subvert state power under Hong Kong’s national security law for organizing Tiananmen Square vigils; a third defendant, Albert Ho, had pleaded guilty earlier, with sentencing for the two pending. The case underscores how the security law is being used to curb pro-democracy activities and the longstanding ban on Tiananmen vigils in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigil organizers Chow Hang-Tung and Lee Cheuk-yan were found guilty of inciting subversion under the national security law in West Kowloon Court; a third activist, Albert Ho, had previously pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later; the verdict underscores Beijing's crackdown on public remembrance and dissent in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong police raided two bookstores in Mong Kok and arrested five people on suspicion of displaying and selling seditious publications under the 2024 national security law, marking the third such action against independent bookshops after March and June; authorities say the material targeted included content that stirs hatred toward the government, judiciary and police, and one bookstore—Have A Nice Stay—had already announced it would close on Aug 30 amid financial pressures and red-line concerns.
Police raided two independent bookshops in Mong Kok, arresting five people on suspicion of violating Hong Kong's national security laws for displaying or selling seditious books; authorities seized materials that allegedly incited hatred toward the government, judiciary and police; if convicted, they could face up to seven years in prison; the raids come amid a broader crackdown on dissent and amid concerns from Amnesty International about fear and self-censorship in the city.
Hong Kong's Court of Appeal overturned Jimmy Lai's 2022 fraud convictions related to Apple Daily's office lease, but Lai remains imprisoned after a separate national security case that carries a 20-year sentence for colluding with foreign forces; rights groups and family say the ruling does little to restore the rule of law and Lai's health remains a concern as he has been detained since 2020.
Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal reversed the fraud convictions against Jimmy Lai, ruling the alleged concealment and lease breach did not meet the fraud threshold; Lai still serves a 20-year sentence from a separate national security case, and the government may appeal the ruling.
Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal overturned the fraud convictions against former Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, saying prosecutors failed to prove concealment or false representations in the lease case. Lai, 78, continues to serve a long prison term from a separate national-security conviction, and the court’s decision could shorten his total time if sentences run concurrently as allowed. The government may appeal. The ruling highlights ongoing tensions between Hong Kong’s security crackdown and press freedom concerns.
Kwok Yin-sang, 69, the father of US-based democracy activist Anna Kwok, was sentenced to eight months in prison under Hong Kong’s national security law after he tried to terminate his daughter’s insurance policy and withdraw HK$88,609. He was found guilty of attempting to deal with funds for an absconder—the first person in the city charged and convicted under that offense. Anna Kwok leads the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council and condemned the move as despicable, noting the broader push under Hong Kong’s Article 23 security regime enacted in 2020 and 2024.
An appellate court in Hong Kong voided Jimmy Lai’s fraud convictions related to a lease arrangement, ruling prosecutors failed to prove false representations beyond reasonable doubt; Lai remains jailed because of a separate 20-year sentence in a national-security law case, marking a rare win in his legal battles amid ongoing concerns about press freedom in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s stock market remains buoyant even as Beijing tightens control on speech, highlighting a paradox about Friedman’s view that free markets rely on free expression. The 20-year sentence for Jimmy Lai and the National Security Law have chilled reporting and led to self-censorship and restricted access to sensitive topics, while markets benefit in the short term from capital flows; the piece argues that Hong Kong’s long-term prospects depend on whether political freedoms can keep pace with market freedoms, making it a real-world test of Friedman’s thesis.
Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was sentenced in Hong Kong to 20 years in prison under the national security law for conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious articles; co-defendants received shorter terms, and the case is seen as a sweeping crackdown on dissent and press freedom with international reactions.
Jimmy Lai, 78, was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Hong Kong's national security law for conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious articles, the harshest penalty to date. Co-defendants — six former Apple Daily staffers and two activists — received six to ten years. Lai's family warned the ruling could make him a martyr behind bars, as critics say the sentence signals a chilling effect on press freedom in Hong Kong and has triggered international condemnation.