Lawyer Exposes Inside Story: Defending Lee Cheuk-Yan & Albert Ho in Victoria Park Vigil Trial

Lawyer Chow Hang-tung, who is currently on trial in Hong Kong for organizing commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, has reportedly initiated a hunger strike while in detention.

Chow is facing charges of inciting subversion of state power under the National Security Law imposed by Beijing. The legal proceedings involve her and other activists, including Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho, who were involved in organizing vigils at Victoria Park.

The trial reached a critical stage on May 18, 2026, when the prosecution and defense were scheduled to deliver their closing statements.

Chow and Lee have been held in pre-trial detention since September 2021. Both individuals have been repeatedly denied bail throughout the proceedings and face up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted.

The case centers on the legality of peaceful commemorations of the June 4 events. Amnesty International has designated both Chow and Lee as prisoners of conscience, stating they are incarcerated for exercising their human rights.

Sarah Brooks, the Deputy Regional Director of Amnesty International, has criticized the legal basis of the prosecution.

The prosecution’s case relies on vague, overly broad and arbitrary definitions of ‘subversion’.

Sarah Brooks, Deputy Regional Director of Amnesty International

Brooks has called for the charges against Chow and Lee to be dropped, arguing that residents of Hong Kong should be able to remember the events of June 4, 1989, without fear of retaliation.

Fernando Cheung, a spokesperson for Amnesty International Hong Kong, further emphasized the nature of the activists’ actions during the trial proceedings.

As closing arguments begin in this trial, the Hong Kong authorities must confront the basic injustice at its heart: commemorating victims of human rights abuses is compassionate, not criminal.

Fernando Cheung, Amnesty International Hong Kong spokesperson

The trial of these members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China reflects the ongoing application of the National Security Law to political expression and historical commemoration within the territory.