Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai activist convicted for taking part in Tiananmen vigil

Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, along with two other prominent activists, has been found guilty for taking part in a vigil to mark the Tiananmen massacre.

Lai, Gwyneth Ho, and Chow Hang Tung were convicted for inciting and taking part in an unlawful assembly.

They were among thousands who defied a ban and took part in a vigil last June commemorating the 1989 crackdown at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

More than two dozen politicians and activists have been charged over it.

The trio was the last to receive their verdict as they chose to contest their charges. During their trial, they argued they had lit candles during the vigil in a personal capacity and had not “incited” others to join the unauthorized rally.

However, District Court Judge Amanda Woodcock dismissed the arguments “frankly nonsensical” and said their participation “was an act of defiance and protest against the police”.

They will be sentenced on 13 December, and face a maximum of five years in prison for the charge of participating in an unlawful assembly.