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China rejects international criticism over Tiananmen activists' conviction in Hong Kong
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

China rejects international criticism over Tiananmen activists' conviction in Hong Kong

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • China has rejected international criticism regarding the conviction of two activists linked to the 1989 Tiananmen Square vigil.
  • The Foreign Ministry accused some countries and institutions of interfering in China's internal affairs and maliciously defaming Hong Kong's legal system.
  • The activists were convicted of inciting subversion for their roles in organizing the annual June 4th vigils.

China has firmly rejected international condemnation over the conviction of two Hong Kong activists associated with the banned Tiananmen Square memorial vigils. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused unspecified countries and institutions of exploiting the judicial case to "maliciously defame Hong Kong" and denigrate its legal system, stating that Beijing "firmly opposes" such actions.

determined countries and institutions have taken advantage of the judicial case to maliciously defame Hong Kong and denigrate its legal system, something Beijing firmly opposes.

— Lin JianChinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, responding to international criticism of the activists' convictions.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced that China had lodged "formal protests" against reactions to the verdict, which followed expressions of concern from the United States, the European Union, and other nations. Lin asserted that the "essence of the Hong Kong Alliance's program was to subvert state power," emphasizing that the alleged criminal acts were "clear" and caused "serious harm." He defended the Hong Kong authorities' actions against activities threatening national security as "reasonable and legal."

The activists, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, were found guilty of inciting subversion for their involvement with the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. This organization had organized the annual June 4th vigils for three decades to commemorate the victims of the 1989 crackdown. They face a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment. A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, had pleaded guilty to the same charge earlier.

The essence of the Hong Kong Alliance's program was to subvert state power.

— Lin JianChinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, justifying the convictions.

The EU stated the convictions confirmed a "continuous deterioration" of freedom of expression and assembly in Hong Kong, while Amnesty International called the sentences "devastating" and demanded the activists' immediate release. Taiwan also expressed "deep regret."

Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law.

— Lin JianChinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, defending Hong Kong's legal system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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