Latest news with #NeoDemocrats
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hong Kong releases former opposition lawmakers jailed for subversion
Several former Hong Kong opposition lawmakers jailed in the city's largest national security case were released on Tuesday after over four years in prison, the first among dozens convicted last year to regain their freedom. Ex-legislators Claudia Mo, Jeremy Tam, Kwok Ka-ki and Gary Fan were part of a group of 47 public figures -- including some of Hong Kong's best-known democracy advocates -- were charged with subversion in 2021 for holding an informal primary election. The case fell under a national security law imposed on the city by Beijng and drew international condemnation and warnings about Hong Kong's declining freedoms and tolerance of dissent. Mo, Tam, Kwok and Fan had been kept in custody since 2021 and were each sentenced to four years and two months behind bars after they pleaded guilty. All four were taken out of prison just before sunrise on Tuesday in cars with curtains drawn. Speaking outside his home, Mo's husband Philip Bowring said the ex-lawmaker was resting and not in a position to speak to the media. "She's well and she's in good spirits... We look forward to being together again," Bowring said at his flat, with a "Welcome home mum" banner visible in the dining room. "We'll be here for a while and getting used to living in Hong Kong again and then probably we'll go to England at some point to see our grandchildren," he added. Fan told local media he was on his way to reunite with his family and thanked Hongkongers for their concern. - 'Unjust' - Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub. Authorities said an informal primary election held by the former lawmakers which aimed to win a legislative majority, with the ultimate goal of indiscriminately vetoing the government budget, amounted to a conspiracy to subvert state power. The landmark case involved figures across Hong Kong's once-diverse political spectrum -- including elected lawmakers, district councillors, unionists and academics with views ranging from moderate to radical. The prison sentences, delivered in November last year, were condemned by Western governments and rights groups. Mo previously worked as an AFP journalist and cited her experience covering Beijing's bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown as pivotal in her political awakening. She helped found the now-shuttered Civic Party in 2006 and won a legislative seat in 2012, but later quit the party to campaign on a platform emphasising Hong Kong's distinctive identity from mainland China. Kwok, 63, and Tam, 49, were also former Civic Party lawmakers. Before entering politics, Kwok worked as a doctor and Tam as an airline pilot. Fan, 58, was a co-founder of Neo Democrats, a party that advocated for electoral reform and pushed back against China's political and cultural influence on Hong Kong in the 2010s. - Tightening grip - Each of the four defendants had their prison terms trimmed due to their guilty pleas, with an additional six-month reduction on account of "past public service and ignorance of the law". Hong Kong tightened its rules last year so that prisoners convicted of serious national security crimes could not be released early for good behaviour. The four ex-lawmakers who returned home on Tuesday received the lightest penalty among the defendants and were released taking into account the time they served before trial. The heaviest penalty in the case -- a 10-year jail sentence -- was imposed on legal academic Benny Tai, whom prosecutors described as the "mastermind" of the subversion plot. The court is set to hear appeals launched by 14 of the convicted defendants in July. Hong Kong has arrested 322 people for national security crimes. It has convicted 163 of them as of the start of this month. Hong Kong enacted a homegrown national security law last year on top of the Beijing-imposed law, an arrangement officials say is needed to restore order. hol/oho/dhw
Int'l Business Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Hong Kong Releases Former Opposition Lawmakers Jailed For Subversion
Several former Hong Kong opposition lawmakers jailed in the city's largest national security case were released on Tuesday after over four years in prison, the first among dozens convicted last year to regain their freedom. Ex-legislators Claudia Mo, Jeremy Tam, Kwok Ka-ki and Gary Fan were part of a group of 47 public figures -- including some of Hong Kong's best-known democracy advocates -- were charged with subversion in 2021 for holding an informal primary election. The case fell under a national security law imposed on the city by Beijng and drew international condemnation and warnings about Hong Kong's declining freedoms and tolerance of dissent. Mo, Tam, Kwok and Fan had been kept in custody since 2021 and were each sentenced to four years and two months behind bars after they pleaded guilty. All four were taken out of prison just before sunrise on Tuesday in cars with curtains drawn. Speaking outside his home, Mo's husband Philip Bowring said the ex-lawmaker was resting and not in a position to speak to the media. "She's well and she's in good spirits... We look forward to being together again," Bowring said at his flat, with a "Welcome home mum" banner visible in the dining room. "We'll be here for a while and getting used to living in Hong Kong again and then probably we'll go to England at some point to see our grandchildren," he added. Fan told local media he was on his way to reunite with his family and thanked Hongkongers for their concern. Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub. Authorities said an informal primary election held by the former lawmakers which aimed to win a legislative majority, with the ultimate goal of indiscriminately vetoing the government budget, amounted to a conspiracy to subvert state power. The landmark case involved figures across Hong Kong's once-diverse political spectrum -- including elected lawmakers, district councillors, unionists and academics with views ranging from moderate to radical. The prison sentences, delivered in November last year, were condemned by Western governments and rights groups. Mo previously worked as an AFP journalist and cited her experience covering Beijing's bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown as pivotal in her political awakening. She helped found the now-shuttered Civic Party in 2006 and won a legislative seat in 2012, but later quit the party to campaign on a platform emphasising Hong Kong's distinctive identity from mainland China. Kwok, 63, and Tam, 49, were also former Civic Party lawmakers. Before entering politics, Kwok worked as a doctor and Tam as an airline pilot. Fan, 58, was a co-founder of Neo Democrats, a party that advocated for electoral reform and pushed back against China's political and cultural influence on Hong Kong in the 2010s. Each of the four defendants had their prison terms trimmed due to their guilty pleas, with an additional six-month reduction on account of "past public service and ignorance of the law". Hong Kong tightened its rules last year so that prisoners convicted of serious national security crimes could not be released early for good behaviour. The four ex-lawmakers who returned home on Tuesday received the lightest penalty among the defendants and were released taking into account the time they served before trial. The heaviest penalty in the case -- a 10-year jail sentence -- was imposed on legal academic Benny Tai, whom prosecutors described as the "mastermind" of the subversion plot. The court is set to hear appeals launched by 14 of the convicted defendants in July. Hong Kong has arrested 322 people for national security crimes. It has convicted 163 of them as of the start of this month. Hong Kong enacted a homegrown national security law last year on top of the Beijing-imposed law, an arrangement officials say is needed to restore order. British journalist Philip Bowring, husband of pro-democracy activist Claudia Mo, speaks to the media outside his apartment after his wife arrived home from Lo Wu Correctional Institution, in Hong Kong on April 29, 2025 AFP A general view of Shek Pik Prison is seen before sunrise in Hong Kong on April 29, 2025 AFP
France 24
29-04-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Hong Kong releases former opposition lawmakers jailed for subversion
Ex-legislators Claudia Mo, Jeremy Tam, Kwok Ka-ki and Gary Fan were part of a group of 47 public figures -- including some of Hong Kong's best-known democracy advocates -- were charged with subversion in 2021 for holding an informal primary election. The case fell under a national security law imposed on the city by Beijng and drew international condemnation and warnings about Hong Kong's declining freedoms and tolerance of dissent. Mo, Tam, Kwok and Fan had been kept in custody since 2021 and were each sentenced to four years and two months behind bars after they pleaded guilty. All four were taken out of prison just before sunrise on Tuesday in cars with curtains drawn. Speaking outside his home, Mo's husband Philip Bowring said the ex-lawmaker was resting and not in a position to speak to the media. "She's well and she's in good spirits... We look forward to being together again," Bowring said at his flat, with a "Welcome home mum" banner visible in the dining room. "We'll be here for a while and getting used to living in Hong Kong again and then probably we'll go to England at some point to see our grandchildren," he added. Fan told local media he was on his way to reunite with his family and thanked Hongkongers for their concern. 'Unjust' Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub. Authorities said an informal primary election held by the former lawmakers which aimed to win a legislative majority, with the ultimate goal of indiscriminately vetoing the government budget, amounted to a conspiracy to subvert state power. The landmark case involved figures across Hong Kong's once-diverse political spectrum -- including elected lawmakers, district councillors, unionists and academics with views ranging from moderate to radical. The prison sentences, delivered in November last year, were condemned by Western governments and rights groups. Mo previously worked as an AFP journalist and cited her experience covering Beijing's bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown as pivotal in her political awakening. She helped found the now-shuttered Civic Party in 2006 and won a legislative seat in 2012, but later quit the party to campaign on a platform emphasising Hong Kong's distinctive identity from mainland China. Kwok, 63, and Tam, 49, were also former Civic Party lawmakers. Before entering politics, Kwok worked as a doctor and Tam as an airline pilot. Fan, 58, was a co-founder of Neo Democrats, a party that advocated for electoral reform and pushed back against China's political and cultural influence on Hong Kong in the 2010s. Tightening grip Each of the four defendants had their prison terms trimmed due to their guilty pleas, with an additional six-month reduction on account of "past public service and ignorance of the law". Hong Kong tightened its rules last year so that prisoners convicted of serious national security crimes could not be released early for good behaviour. The four ex-lawmakers who returned home on Tuesday received the lightest penalty among the defendants and were released taking into account the time they served before trial. The heaviest penalty in the case -- a 10-year jail sentence -- was imposed on legal academic Benny Tai, whom prosecutors described as the "mastermind" of the subversion plot. The court is set to hear appeals launched by 14 of the convicted defendants in July. Hong Kong has arrested 322 people for national security crimes. It has convicted 163 of them as of the start of this month. Hong Kong enacted a homegrown national security law last year on top of the Beijing-imposed law, an arrangement officials say is needed to restore order.
Japan Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
First batch of Hong Kong democrats freed after four years in jail
The first batch of individuals jailed in the landmark Hong Kong national security trial of "47 democrats" accused of conspiracy to commit subversion was freed on Tuesday after being behind bars for more than four years. Four former pro-democracy lawmakers, including Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Gary Fan, were driven away from three separate prisons across Hong Kong around dawn. Security was tight with patrols of police officers, and access to some roads to the prisons restricted for hours beforehand. A witness outside the maximum security Stanley Prison, where Kwok and Tam were held, was told by a police officer they had left. Vehicles were also seen leaving the more remote Shek Pik Prison on Lantau Island and a women's correctional institution at Lo Wu close to the border with China. Police blocked access to two roads leading to the entrance of Shek Kip Prison, so media could only stand on a bridge next to a reservoir overlooking the ocean-facing facility. Fan, speaking to the press when he arrived at his home early on Tuesday, said: "I will go back home and reunite with family. Thank you Hong Kongers." Philip Bowring, Mo's husband, said she was calm on her return home and needed time to rest, local media reported. Since large and sustained pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong for most of 2019, China has cracked down on the democratic opposition as well as liberal civil society and media outlets under sweeping national security laws. The 47 pro-democracy campaigners were arrested and charged in early 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national law which carried sentences of up to life in prison. Forty-five of these were convicted following a marathon trial, with sentences of up to 10 years. Only two were acquitted. All four had been denied bail since being charged and were remanded in custody for nearly two years before the trial kicked off in early 2023. All four had pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to four years and two months imprisonment. Mo, Kwok and Tam were former members of the Civic Party, once one of Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy parties, which was disbanded in early 2024 amid the national security crackdown. Mo resigned from the Civic Party in 2016 and founded the localist group HK First with Fan of the Neo Democrats. The democrats were found guilty of organizing an unofficial "primary election" in 2020 to select candidates for a legislative election. Prosecutors accused the activists of plotting to paralyze the government by engaging in potentially disruptive acts had they been elected. Western governments including the U.S. called the trial politically motivated and had demanded the democrats be freed. Hong Kong and Beijing, however, say all are equal under the national security laws and the democrats received a fair trial.
Perth Now
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Hong Kong activists released after years in prison
The first batch of individuals jailed in the landmark Hong Kong national security trial of "47 democrats" accused of conspiracy to commit subversion have been freed after being behind bars for over four years. Four former pro-democracy politicians, including Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Gary Fan were driven away from three separate prisons across Hong Kong around dawn on Tuesday. Security was tight with patrols of police officers, and access to some roads to the prisons restricted for hours beforehand. Since large and sustained pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong for most of 2019, China has cracked down on the democratic opposition as well as liberal civil society and media outlets under sweeping national security laws. The 47 pro-democracy campaigners were arrested and charged in early 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national law which carried sentences of up to life in prison. Forty-five of these were convicted following a marathon trial, with sentences of up to 10 years. Only two were acquitted. All four had been denied bail since being charged and were remanded in custody for nearly two years before the trial started in early 2023. All four had pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to four years and two months imprisonment. Mo, Kwok and Tam were former members of the Civic Party, once one of Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy parties, which was disbanded in early 2024 amid the national security crackdown. Mo resigned from the Civic Party in 2016 and founded the localist group HK First with Fan of the Neo Democrats. The democrats were found guilty of organising an unofficial "primary election" in 2020 to select candidates for a legislative election. Prosecutors accused the activists of plotting to paralyse the government by engaging in potentially disruptive acts had they been elected. Western governments including the US called the trial politically motivated and had demanded the democrats be freed. Hong Kong and Beijing, however, say all are equal under the national security laws and the democrats received a fair trial.
