Four people jailed in the landmark Hong Kong national security trial of "47 democrats" accused of conspiracy to commit subversion were freed today after more than four years behind bars, the second group to be released in a month.
Among those freed was long-time political and LGBTQ activist Jimmy Sham (岑子杰), who also led one of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy groups, the Civil Human Rights Front, which disbanded in 2021.
"Let me spend some time with my family," Sham said after arriving at his home in the Kowloon district of Jordan.
Photo: Reuters
"I don’t know how to plan ahead because, to me, it feels like today is my first day of understanding the world again. So, as for what I can do or should do in the future, or where is the red line, I feel like I need to explore and figure it out all over again," said Sham.
CHRF was one of the largest pro-democracy groups in the former British colony and helped to organize million-strong marches during pro-democracy protests in 2019 that turned violent at times and had a major impact on business and tourism.
The others who were released were Kinda Li (李嘉達), Roy Tam (譚凱邦) and Henry Wong (王百羽).
At the end of last month, former pro-democracy lawmakers Claudia Mo (毛孟靜), Kwok Ka-ki (郭家麒), Jeremy Tam (譚文豪) and Gary Fan (范國威) were released from three separate prisons across Hong Kong around dawn.
Three others are expected to be released next month, including former activists Frankie Fung (馮達浚), Nathan Lau (劉澤鋒) and Carol Ng (吳敏兒), according to local media.
Since the 2019 protests, which disrupted Hong Kong for most of that year, China has cracked down on the democratic opposition as well as liberal civil society and media outlets under sweeping national security laws that were imposed in 2020.
The 47 pro-democracy campaigners were arrested and charged in early 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national law which carries sentences of up to life in prison.
Forty-five of the defendants were convicted following a marathon trial, and given sentences of as long as 10 years. Only two were acquitted.
The democrats were found guilty of organizing an unofficial "primary election" in 2020 to select their candidates for a legislative election that was later postponed. Prosecutors accused the activists of plotting to paralyze the government by engaging in potentially disruptive acts had they been elected.
Some Western governments including the US called the trial politically motivated and had demanded the democrats be freed.
Hong Kong and Beijing say all are equal under the national security laws and the democrats received a fair trial.
Additional reporting by Fion Khan
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