Organizers of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigils sentenced to up to 7 years and 3 months in national security case

HONG KONG — Three pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong who organized annual vigils for victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were sentenced to prison terms between five and over seven years Friday after being convicted under a national security law that critics say has stifled dissent in the Chinese territory.

Lee Cheuk-yan was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to seven years and three months. Both had pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting subversion under the Beijing-imposed law.

A third defendant, Albert Ho, 74, was sentenced to five years and two months after pleading guilty, which can result in a shorter sentence.

Both Lee and Chow, who have been in custody continuously since they were charged five years ago, had pleaded for reduced sentences after the verdict. They had faced a maximum of 10 years in prison.

All three were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which for three decades held annual candlelight vigils in honor of those who were killed on June 4, 1989, in a Chinese military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The vigils, which drew tens of…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business