Hong Kong โขCourt Refuses to Dismiss Chargesโ Against Tiananmen Vigil Organizer Chow Hang-tung
Hong Kong – November 3, 2025 – A Hong Kong courtโข today rejected a bid by barrister Chow Hang-tung to โquash an indictment related โto organizing โขa Tiananmen Square vigil, a commemoration that hasโค become a focal point of concerns over shrinking freedomsโข in the city. Chow, defending โฃherself, argued โฃthe charges were unacceptably vague, claiming authorities failed โฃto specify an unlawful means employed,โค potentially โคcreating aโ “catch-all charge.”
the case centers around the annual vigil organized by the โHong Kongโฃ Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, โwhich โfor decadesโ was the only large-scale โคpublic commemoration of the 1989 โTiananmen Square crackdown heldโค anywhere inโ the โขworld. Authoritiesโ banned the vigilโค in 2020, citing anti-pandemic measures.
Prosecutor Ned Lai counteredโข Chow’s argument,โฃ asserting that “unlawful means” referred to actions against โthe Chinese constitution, which definesโ the Communist Party’s leadership as central โto socialism with Chinese characteristics and prohibits damaging the socialistโข system.
The three-judge panel, appointed by the government to oversee theโ case, sided with the prosecution. โขJudge Alex Lee stated โฃthe โคpanel would issue a โฃfullโข opinion in โJanuary.
Chow appearedโ composedโข following the ruling, offering a smile to โขsupporters in the public gallery before departing the courtroom.
The hong Kongโ alliance โคhas faced increasing pressure from authorities, includingโค a police investigation accusing the group of acting as a โขforeign agent – โขallegationsโ the alliance rejectedโ and refused to cooperate with. Chow, along with fellow core members Lee Cheuk-yan and โfigo โขChan, were initially convicted in 2023 for failing to provide information to authorities and sentenced to four-and-a-halfโค months in โprison. However,that conviction was overturned by the city’s top court โขin March,a rare victory for pro-democracy activists.
A trial under the National Security Law is now scheduled toโ begin on January 22nd.
Asโ theโ liftingโ of โฃpandemic-era restrictions, the park previously used for the vigil has been occupiedโ by aโฃ carnivalโ featuring Chinese food and โขproducts on the Tiananmen anniversary.
Amnesty international Hong Kong Overseas spokesperson โFernando Cheungโ condemned the court’s decision, stating the authorities wereโ “weaponisingโฃ the overly broad concept of national security” to โฃsuppress freedom of expression. “Commemorating the โฃTiananmen crackdown shoudl never have โฃbeen โprosecuted,” Cheung said, โcalling for the release โof those detained for peacefully exercising theirโฃ right to freedom of expression.
The Hong Kong Governmentโ maintains that the Nationalโ security Lawโฃ has restored stability to the city following โขthe 2019 protests.
