April
2025
Four former pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong were released after being imprisoned for over four years on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion under the Hong Kong National Security Law. These individuals were part of a group of political leaders and opposition legislators whose landmark case resulted in 45 of the 47 defendants convicted for organizing an unofficial primary election between pro-democracy candidates in 2020. Convicted defendants in the case faced sentences of up to 10 years.
The freed lawmakers–Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam, and Gary Fan–were escorted directly to their homes by police, with heavy security measures in place throughout their release. Their imprisonment resulted from Beijing's sweeping crackdown on democratic opposition, civil society, and media outlets following the large-scale pro-democracy protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019.
Summary
The treatment of these high-profile political defendants in Hong Kong reveals not only how Hong Kong's political prisoners are subjected to both prolonged pre-trial detention–with many denied bail for nearly two years before their cases are heard, effectively punishing them before conviction–but also how they remain subject to scrutiny during and after their release.
The heavy police presence and control over the released lawmakers' movements and media interactions even as they are released demonstrates the ongoing surveillance and restrictions that persist even after their prison terms are completed. These attempts to maintain tight control over the public image and coverage of former political prisoners tracks with what other released pro-democracy leaders have testified to overseas. As more political prisoners are released in Hong Kong, international observers should continue to focus on their treatment by state security agents, especially as it pertains to their privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of transit after release.
Analysis
