HONG KONG, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday sentenced former leaders of the "Hong Kong Alliance" to up to seven years and three months in jail for inciting subversion.
Chow Hang-tung will serve the sentence of seven years and three months. Lee Cheuk-yan faces seven years behind bars, and Ho Chun-yan will serve a jail term of five years and two months.
The "Hong Kong alliance" was fined 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars (about 191,284 U.S. dollars).
The four defendants in this case were charged with inciting other persons in Hong Kong to organize, plan, commit, or participate in the commission of acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the State power between July 1, 2020 and Sept. 8, 2021. The court delivered the verdict on the case on Aug. 21, 2026 and found them guilty of inciting subversion.
The law never allows anyone to openly harm one's own country and compatriots by employing confounding tactics under the pretext of human rights, democracy and freedom, said HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee.
As pointed out by the court in the reasons for verdict, what the defendants did in this case had already gone beyond the scope of lawful freedom of expression, and constituted acts of inciting others to subvert state power by unlawful means, said Lee.
"The sentences today demonstrate the court's confirmation that the offences committed by the defendants were extremely serious and warrant severe punishment to uphold the rule of law," he added.
A spokesperson for the HKSAR government stressed that the defendants of this case were put on trial not because of their political views or beliefs. All defendants received a fair trial strictly in accordance with laws applicable to Hong Kong, as guaranteed by the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, free from any interference.
In support of the sentencing, a spokesperson for the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said the 206-page verdict is well-grounded. The trial and ruling of this case demonstrated that any criminal act that seriously harms the fundamental interests of the country and the HKSAR will be severely punished by law.
A spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR also voiced support for the penalties on Friday and condemned external interference in the judicial proceedings of the case.
Under the pretexts of "human rights" and "freedom," some overseas anti-China politicians colluded with anti-China destabilizing elements in Hong Kong to interfere in China's internal affairs and the HKSAR's judicial process. Their schemes and tricks are pointless in the face of the law and hard evidence.
