A Hong Kong court on Thursday found China-critical media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, lawyer Chow Hang Tung and former opposition politician Gwyneth Ho guilty of inciting others to attend an unauthorized meeting. Lai, Chow and Ho pleaded not guilty of calling others to vigil on June 4, 2020.

It is the latest blow to the democracy movement in the Chinese Special Administrative Region under the so-called Security Law, which was passed by the Beijing government last year despite international criticism in response to the protests of the democracy movement and gives it more access to Hong Kong.

The annual June 4 vigil is held to commemorate the crackdown on Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing in 1989. The last two vigils were banned by the police citing coronavirus restrictions. Lai is considered a sharp and prominent critic of China. He has already been sentenced to 14 months in prison on two similar cases and has been in custody since last year.

By Editor

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