Documentary Screening | "She's in Jail" – Legal Aid Foundation Collaborative Session
Last edited: 2026-07-27
Hong Kong human rights activist and barrister Chow Hang-tung, former vice chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, was sentenced to 15 months in prison on June 4, 2021, for allegedly promoting and calling on others to participate in the June 4th assembly online. Later, alongside Alliance Chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and Vice Chairman Albert Ho, she was charged with "inciting subversion of state power," and has been held in remand for nearly two and a half years. Serving as her own defense counsel, Barrister Chow has chosen to plead not guilty amidst numerous charges. She not only vigorously argues her case on the merits but also strives to deliver a statement at every court appearance.
On May 28 and 29, 2024, the National Security Department of Hong Kong arrested eight individuals—including human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung, her mother, her maternal uncle, and five pro-democracy activists—under the pretext of offenses related to "seditious intentions." They were accused of posting June 4th-related information on the Facebook page "Hsiao-Tung's Grouping and Drawing Club" in alleged violation of Article 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance regarding "offences involving seditious intention." However, these incriminated posts merely shared text and graphics recounting experiences such as "participating in the June 4th vigil" and "visiting the Tiananmen Mothers," without mentioning a single word of the slogan "Vindicate the June 4th Incident," nor did they call on people to attend the June 4th assembly or spontaneously commemorate it. Being mere expressions of personal thoughts and reflections, they naturally should not constitute the "offence of seditious intention" intended to arouse hatred or contemptuous feelings against the Chinese or Hong Kong government, yet they face a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment. Furthermore, if this case is determined to involve "collusion with external forces" (including Taiwan), the maximum sentence could be increased to 10 years.
On June 1 and 4, the JRF issued statements in both Chinese and English, calling upon Taiwan and the international community to jointly pay attention to the freedom and democracy of Hong Kong. To date, over 20 domestic and international organizations have responded in solidarity.
To enable Taiwan's legal community to understand the democratic threats faced by Hong Kong, the UK-based organization The 29 Principles, the Taipei Branch of the Legal Aid Foundation, and the Judicial Reform Foundation are jointly organizing this documentary screening. We invite concerned friends to come together to watch Hang-tung's story, learn about the context of the events, and understand this arduous yet indispensable democracy movement.
This session will also feature a special opening address by Ch'en I-t'ing, President of the Taipei Branch of the Legal Aid Foundation. The post-screening discussion will be moderated by Li Ming-ju, Deputy Executive Director of the Judicial Reform Foundation, with lawyer Lo Ping-ch'eng invited to participate as a panelist.
▋July 5 Legal Aid Foundation Collaborative Session
Time | Friday, July 5, 2024 - 18:30 Registration, 19:00 Admission
Venue | Spot Huashan Cinema (No. 1, Sec. 1, Bade Rd., Taipei City)
Duration | 104 minutes
Capacity | 160 participants
Opening Remarks | Lawyer Ch'en I-t'ing
Moderator | Lawyer Li Ming-ju
Panelist | Lawyer Lo Ping-ch'eng
Organizers | The 29 Principles, Judicial Reform Foundation, Taipei Branch of the Legal Aid Foundation
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.