The Hong Kong court replayed decades-old speeches as prosecutors argued Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung incited subversion under the national security law. The pair, who organised Tiananmen vigils through the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, have been detained since 2021 and face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Dozens of archival clips were shown; an expert witness application was rejected. Human rights groups condemned the trial as an effort to "rewrite history."
Hong Kong Court Replays Decades-Old Speeches as Activists Face National Security Trial
Visitors enter a court in Hong Kong on January 22 for the start of the trial of leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance (Peter PARKS)(Peter PARKS/AFP/AFP)
A Hong Kong court on Monday played archival recordings of defiant anti-Beijing speeches — some nearly 30 years old — as prosecutors presented their case against two democracy activists charged under the national security law.
Trial Details and Historical Footage
Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance that organised annual Tiananmen vigils, are standing trial on charges of "incitement to subversion," an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The case includes video and audio clips spanning decades, from a 1996 call for a "democratic China" to speeches and interviews from 2020–2021.
Courtroom Scenes and Key Arguments
Seated in the dock, a solemn Lee wiped his eyes as footage showed him speaking in 1996. Prosecutor Ned Lai told the court the prosecution would focus on the Alliance's long-standing calls to "end one-party rule" in China, arguing those appeals amounted to subverting the state. Lai denied the proceedings constituted a "political trial."
From a 2020 clip, Lee is heard: "We hold on to our principle and we would not retreat... It's very important that we believe in democracy and we can practise our belief."
Chow, a practising barrister who is representing herself, frequently smiled at supporters in the public gallery. In a May 2021 clip she said: "We will still be in Hong Kong, to defend the truth about June 4 and continue to resist dictatorship." Dozens of other clips showing vigils, protests and press interviews were screened during the proceedings.
Procedural Notes and Reactions
Both Lee (68) and Chow (41) have been detained since 2021 and have pleaded not guilty. A third defendant, 74-year-old Albert Ho, pleaded guilty last week and was excused from the trial that had been scheduled to run for 75 days. Chow's application to call Taiwanese sociologist Ho Ming-sho as an expert witness was rejected by the three-judge panel.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the trial, saying it amounted to an attempt to "rewrite history." Hong Kong authorities, meanwhile, maintain the national security law has no retroactive effect.
The proceedings underscore the dramatic shift in Hong Kong's political and legal landscape since the 2020 imposition of the national security law, which has greatly curtailed once-common public criticism of the Chinese Communist Party.
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