Second group of Hong Kong democrats freed after 4 years in jail
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LGBTQ and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham arriving at his house after being released from prison in Hong Kong, on May 30.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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HONG KONG - Four people jailed in the landmark Hong Kong national security trial of “47 democrats” accused of conspiracy to commit subversion were freed on May 30, 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, who also led one of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy groups, the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), which disbanded in 2021.
“Let me spend some time with my family,” Mr Sham said, after arriving at his home in the Kowloon district of Jordan.
“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.”
CHRF was one of the largest pro-democracy groups in the former British colony and helped to organise million-strong marches during anti-government protests in 2019
The others who were released were Mr Kinda Li, Mr Roy Tam and Mr Henry Wong.
At the end of April, former pro-democracy lawmakers Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Gary Fan were released
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 them were convicted
Only two were acquitted.
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.
Some Western governments, including the US, called the trial politically motivated and demanded that the democrats be freed.
Hong Kong and Beijing, however, say that all are equal under the national security laws and the democrats received a fair trial. REUTERS
