Four of the people who were part of the "Hong Kong 47" group just got out of prison and their names are Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam, and Gary Fan. They had been behind bars for more than four years, mostly because they took part in an unofficial primary election back in 2020. The authorities said they were trying to subvert the government by doing that, and they got arrested under the National Security Law.
Now they’re free, and honestly, it’s a big moment, even if it’s just four people. The whole case has been super controversial. A lot of people around the world have called the charges political and say this law is being used to silence voices that don’t agree with the government.
Background on the “Hong Kong 47” Case
The “Hong Kong 47” were a group of democracy activists, politicians, and even some scholars who got charged with subversion. Basically, they were accused of trying to take control of Hong Kong’s legislature in a way that the government didn’t like.
They weren’t doing anything violent or crazy. They just held their own primary election to pick the strongest candidates to represent the pro-democracy camp. But under the National Security Law, that was seen as a threat. Out of the 47 people charged, most pleaded guilty. Fourteen of them went to trial and were found guilty too.
How the World Is Reacting to All This
🕊️đź‡đź‡° Hong Kong Frees 4 Pro-Democracy Figures After 4-Year Detention
— PiQ (@PiQSuite) May 30, 2025
Activists including LGBTQ leader Jimmy Sham were released in the second wave of national security trial exits.
They were jailed for holding unofficial 2020 primaries, deemed subversive under Beijing's law. pic.twitter.com/nRThBT3MM4
A bunch of countries and human rights groups have been calling out the Hong Kong government—and honestly, China too—over how they’ve handled this. They’ve said the law is just too harsh and vague. And that it’s being used more to shut people up than to keep things safe.
Places like the U.S., UK, and European Union have all spoken up. They’re worried Hong Kong is losing its freedoms and becoming more like mainland China when it comes to how it treats political opinions. The Hong Kong government, on the other hand, says they’re just protecting the city and trying to keep things under control.
