WorldA Hong Kong court sentenced three activists — who for years organized vigils in remembrance of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown — to prison for terms ranging from five to more than seven years on Friday in a case that is widely seen as a barometer of the city's freedoms as Beijing clamps down on dissent.The 3 activists were convicted under a Beijing-imposed national security lawThe Associated Press · Posted: Sep 10, 2026 10:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Lee Cheuk-yan, middle, and Albert Ho, far right, along with Chow Hang-tung were sentenced in a Hong Kong court Friday. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)A Hong Kong court sentenced three activists — who for years organized vigils in remembrance of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown — to prison for terms ranging from five to more than seven years on Friday in a case that is widely seen as a barometer of the city's freedoms as Beijing clamps down on dissent. Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho were convicted of inciting subversion earlier this year under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Lee and Chow, who pleaded not guilty, received prison terms of seven years, and seven years plus three months. Ho was given five years plus two months, lower than his co-defendants partly because of his guilty plea.The trio of defendants was charged in September 2021 and has been held in custody for years. Hong Kong once had a vibrant civil society marked by massive protests and a freewheeling press scene. For three decades, the vigil was the only large-scale, public commemoration in China that drew tens of thousands of people annually. It symbolized the civil liberties Hong Kong enjoyed under Beijing's "one country, two systems" governing principle after Britain handed the former colony back to China in 1997. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty in 2nd national security caseTiananmen Square vigil organizers convicted of 'inciting subversion' in Hong KongBut after a 2019 protest movement rocked the city, authorities reduced public choice in elections and prosecuted leaders of news outlets known for their critical reports of the government. Many leading activists were imprisoned under the security law, and dozens of civil society groups dissolved, including the alliance. Beijing says the law is necessary to maintain stability.The sentences for the Tiananmen activists are the latest high-profile penalties imposed under the security law. In February, former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Chow, third from left, attends a candlelight vigil to mark the 30th anniversary of the crackdown of pro-democracy movement at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, in Hong Kong, on June 4, 2019. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)