Vans leave Lo Wu Correctional Institution in Hong Kong’s New Territories early Tuesday after jailed former lawmakers Claudia Mo, Gary Fan, Kwok Ka-ki and Jeremy Tam were released from different prisons across Hong Kong. Photo by Leung Man Hei/EPA-EFE
April 29 (UPI) — Four former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were released from prison Tuesday after completing their sentences for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government of the special administrative region of China.
Claudia Mo, 68; Kwok Ka-ki, 63; Jeremy Tan, 49; and Gary Fan, 58; pleaded guilty to being members of the so-called “Hong Kong 47” group charged under a controversial National Security Law imposed by Beijing over organizing an unofficial primary ahead of 2020 elections in a bid to help pro-democracy parties win a majority in the legislature.
“[I am] going home to reunite with my family now. Thanks for the care from Hong Kong people and the media,” Fan said as he departed Shek Pik Prison on Lantau Island.
Mo’s family confirmed she was home after being released from the Lo Wu Correctional Institution, which is close to the border with Shenzhen.
“I am very pleased that she is home, but she is resting so I cannot really say any more,” Mo’s husband, British journalist Philip Bowring, told reporters.
“I am sorry about that, but as you know the circumstances, so that is all I can say.”
The four were all sentenced to four years and two months in prison in November but were freed due to time served since being arrested in 2021.
They were among 45 of the Hong Kong 47 pro-democracy activists jailed for between 50 months and 10 years on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion under the NSL imposed in the wake of mass protests against it in 2019 that snowballed into wider pro-democracy protests that brought the territory to a standstill.
The four received the shortest sentences based on a one-third discount for their early guilty plea and reductions for their past public service and “ignorance of the law.”
Former law professor Benny Tai received the longest sentence of the group — 10 years for his role in masterminding the primary elections strategy — and remains behind bars.
The other two were cleared of the charges against them in May.
The judges in the trial, three hand-picked national security justices, ruled that the democrats’ plan was to abuse their control of the legislature to trigger a “constitutional crisis” by vetoing the budget, shutting down the government and forcing the chief executive to resign.