4 Hong Kong activists freed after years in prison

Post by: Omar Nasser

Photo : AP

Four former Hong Kong lawmakers were set free from prison on Tuesday after spending more than four years behind bars. They were jailed because they were involved in a primary election in 2020, which the government did not like. The election was a way for pro-democracy activists to choose their candidates for the real election, but it was stopped by the authorities.

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The four lawmakers—Claudia Mo, Jeremy Tam, Kwok Ka-ki, and Gary Fan—were arrested in 2021, along with 43 other activists. They were accused of trying to paralyze Hong Kong’s government by winning enough seats to block government budgets and force the leader to resign. The government said this would have hurt Hong Kong’s authority.

These four lawmakers were the first to be released from prison. When they were set free, only police vehicles were seen leaving the prisons. Journalists who waited outside the prisons could not see them. However, an AP reporter saw Mo’s husband, Philip Bowring, waiting for her to return home.

Gary Fan thanked people in Hong Kong and the media for their support when reporters asked how he felt. He said he was happy to go back to his family.

The unofficial election that got them into trouble had 610,000 voters. The results of the election were meant to help these activists run in the official election later. However, the authorities stopped the real election because of health risks from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The four lawmakers were sentenced to prison for "conspiring to break the law" by trying to change the government. The other activists received different sentences, ranging from four years to 10 years. Mo, Tam, Kwok, and Fan got shorter sentences because they admitted their actions.

Many people believe these harsh punishments show how the Hong Kong government is limiting free speech and controlling people who want more freedom. These actions followed large protests in 2019. Critics say the laws now stop people from speaking out, and the promises China made to protect freedom in Hong Kong are being broken.

The Hong Kong government and China argue that the new laws are needed to keep the city safe and stable. They insist the law was right, even though many countries around the world criticize it.

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