Hong Kong hits back at Western ‘slander’ over Tiananmen vigil leaders’ conviction

Hong Kong authorities on Saturday rejected what they called “baseless slander and smearing” from Western countries over the conviction of the leaders of a now-disbanded alliance that organized the annual Tiananmen Square vigil. The government said the court’s verdict was “well-reasoned and sound.” The strongly worded statement came a day after a closely watched ruling in the case of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The group’s leaders were found guilty of inciting subversion. Officials did not name specific countries but said external criticism amounted to interference in the city’s legal affairs. The statement stressed that the judicial process was independent and the decision followed the law. The alliance, once a prominent pro-democracy force in Hong Kong, was disbanded in 2021 under the national security law. Its leaders now face sentencing, with legal experts saying the case is a test of how far the city’s courts will go under the new security framework. Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the verdict, calling it part of a broader crackdown on dissent. Hong Kong authorities dismissed such reactions as unfounded and politically motivated.