Hong Kong court sentences Tiananmen vigil activists to up to seven years in prison

Three activists who organized the annual vigils marking the Tiananmen Square crackdown were sentenced on Friday to prison terms ranging from five to seven years. The court found the defendants guilty of inciting the overthrow of state power after they publicly called for an “end to one‑party dictatorship.” Prosecutors argued that the Chinese constitution explicitly affirms the leading role of the Communist Party, and that the activists’ statements threatened that constitutional order.

The verdict follows a long‑standing pattern of repression of commemorations of the 1989 protests, which have been prohibited since the authorities banned public gatherings at the site. International human‑rights groups have condemned the sentences as a further curtailment of freedom of expression in China. The rulings underscore the government’s continued emphasis on maintaining the party’s monopoly over political life.