Hong Kong’s top court overturned the convictions of three former organizers of an annual vigil in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, marking a rare victory for the Chinese territory’s pro-democracy activists. The activists were convicted in 2023 over their refusal to provide information to the police, but the court ruled in their favor, stating that the prosecution failed to prove they were foreign agents.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, known for organizing candlelight vigils in the city, disbanded in 2021 under pressure from China’s national security law. Critics argued that the city’s civil liberties were shrinking despite promises of autonomy under Chinese rule.
The judges at the Court of Final Appeal also dismissed jailed pro-democracy activist Tam Tak-chi’s bid to overturn his sedition convictions under a colonial-era law, which was used to crush dissent. Tam was found guilty of “uttering seditious words” in 2022.
In the wake of the security law, several non-permanent overseas judges have left the top court, raising concerns about the independence of Hong Kong’s judiciary. However, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung maintained that the judiciary’s independence was not weakening.
The annual vigil at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, the sole large-scale public commemoration of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on Chinese soil, was banned in 2020 due to anti-pandemic measures. While some activists remain in custody awaiting trial, the court’s ruling provided a glimmer of hope for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
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