Hong Kong Liberates Former Opposition Legislators Previously Convicted of Subversion
A Group of Four Ex-Legislators Return Home After Prison Sentence
It's April 2025, and the first batch of four defendants from the infamous "47 democrats" subversion trial have returned home. They include former pro-democracy lawmakers Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam, and Gary Fan, who spent over four years in prison under the national security law imposed by Beijing [1][2][3].
The trial, which kicked off in 2021, saw 47 public figures accused of conspiracy to commit subversion following massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019 [2][4].
Speaking outside his home, Mo's husband Philip Bowring confirmed that the ex-lawmaker was resting and not ready for media discussions. Bowring expressed his delight, saying, "She’s well and she’s in good spirits... We look forward to being together again" [6]. On the wall of his flat, a cheerful "Welcome home mum" banner could be spotted in the dining room [6].
Fan shared his plan to reunite with his family and expressed gratitude to the people of Hong Kong for their concern [7].
Unjustifiable Charges
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following giant and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub [8]. The prosecutors argued that an informal primary election held by the former lawmakers, which aimed to secure a legislative majority, with the ultimate goal of indiscriminately vetoing the government budget, amounted to a conspiracy to subvert state power [8].
Covering the Beijing's bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown as an AFP journalist played a significant role in Mo's political awakening [9]. She co-founded the now-shuttered Civic Party in 2006 and won a legislative seat in 2012, before leaving the party to campaign on a platform emphasizing Hong Kong's distinct identity from mainland China [9].
Kwok, 63, and Tam, 49, were also former Civic Party lawmakers. Before stepping into politics, Kwok worked as a doctor, while Tam served as an airline pilot [9].
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 [9].
The Verdict and Future Appeals
Each of the four defendants had their prison sentences reduced due to their guilty pleas, with an added six-month reduction on account of their past public service and ignorance of the law [10]. Hong Kong tightened its rules last year, preventing prisoners convicted of serious national security crimes from being released early for good behavior [10].
The four ex-lawmakers who returned home received the lightest penalty among the defendants and were released taking into account the time they served before trial [10]. The heaviest penalty – a 10-year jail sentence – was imposed on legal academic Benny Tai, whom prosecutors described as the "mastermind" of the subversion plot [10].
The court is set to hear appeals launched by 14 of the convicted defendants in July [10]. However, given the strict nature of the national security law, the appeals are likely to focus on procedural or evidentiary issues rather than challenging the law itself [2][5].
As of the start of this month, Hong Kong has arrested 322 people for national security crimes and convicted 163 of them [11]. Despite international criticisms labeling the trial as politically motivated, the Hong Kong authorities maintain that all defendants received fair trials and were treated equally under the law [5].
- International scrutiny continues to mount over Hong Kong's national security law, as four former pro-democracy lawmakers, including Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam, and Gary Fan, return home after serving over four years in prison.
- The future of politics in Hong Kong remains uncertain, as the government faces criticism for its handling of dissent and war-and-conflicts, such as the trial of the "47 democrats" in connection with the massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
- Despite being released on lighter penalties due to their guilty pleas, the four ex-lawmakers have probably received warnings about their future involvement in policy-and-legislation, crime-and-justice, or general-news issues that could be deemed subversive under the national security law.
- As Hong Kong tightens its rules on early release for prisoners convicted of national security crimes, it remains to be seen if the future appeals launched by 14 of the convicted defendants, including legal academic Benny Tai, will lead to changes in policy that lessen the impact of the national security law on Hongkongers.
- In the midst of ongoing political tensions and international debate, the return of the four ex-legislators to their families serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching effects of war-and-conflicts, politics, and policy-and-legislation on the lives of ordinary citizens in Hong Kong and beyond.
