3 Tiananmen vigil organizers set to be sentenced in Hong Kong national security case

HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong court is set to sentence Friday three activists who for years organized vigils in remembrance of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, 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 face up to 10 years in prison after being convicted of inciting subversion earlier this year under a Beijing-imposed national security law.Hong Kong once had a vibrant civil society marked by massive protests and a freewheeling press scene. But 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 on Friday will be 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, who represented herself, said the verdict suggested pursuing democracy is ...