Hong Kong National Security Trial Opens for Three Former Alliance Leaders

On January 22, 2026, the High Court of Hong Kong began hearing a national security law case against three former leaders of the now‑disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The defendants, Chow Hang‑tung, Lee Cheuk‑yan, and Albert Ho Chun‑yan, are charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” a crime that carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Chow Hang‑tung, the former vice‑chair of the Alliance, and Lee Cheuk‑yan, a veteran pro‑democracy leader, have pleaded not guilty and will mount a defense, arguing that their calls for democratic reform do not constitute subversion. Albert Ho Chun‑yan, former chairman of the Democratic Party, has pleaded guilty, and the court may consider this in sentencing.

Prosecutors claim that the Alliance’s long-standing advocacy to end one‑party rule violates China’s constitutional order, while the defense maintains that their actions were peaceful political expression and advocacy for democratic reform, not criminal offenses.

The defendants have a long history of organizing the annual June 4 candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, an event that was once considered a symbol of freedom in Hong Kong. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the National Security Law, the vigil was banned and the Alliance formally disbanded in 2021.

The trial, expected to last around 75 days, is being overseen by three judges designated under the National Security Law. It is widely seen as a significant indicator of Hong Kong’s shrinking space for freedom of expression and civil society, drawing criticism from international human rights organizations concerned about the limitations on political expression and the preservation of historical memory.