Hong Kong's Top Court Reinstates Activist Chow Hang-tung's Conviction

The decision overturns a previous acquittal, raising concerns about the rule of law and freedom of assembly in the city.

Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal has overturned the acquittal of activist Chow Hang-tung, reinstating her conviction for 'inciting others to take part in an unauthorised assembly' during the city's 2021 Tiananmen vigil.
Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, remains detained on separate charges under the National Security Law.
The Hong Kong authorities had unlawfully issued a blanket ban on the 2021 Tiananmen vigil, raising concerns over further restrictions on peaceful assemblies.
Chow was sentenced to 15 months in jail in January 2022, but was acquitted by a High Court judge in December 2022. The justice department then filed an appeal against the acquittal.
Chow is also facing charges of 'inciting subversion' under Hong Kong's National Security Law, for which she faces a potential life prison sentence.