Eight Uncharged Figures Get Passports Back After Five Years
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Eight figures who were arrested but not prosecuted in Hong Kong’s 47 democrats national security case have had their passports returned, more than five years after their January 2021 arrests . The development affects former opposition politicians, civil society figures and legal professionals linked to the unofficial 2020 primary election that authorities treated as part of a subversion conspiracy .
Key Points
- Local media reported passports were returned to former Democratic Party lawmakers James To and Roy Kwong, and former healthcare sector lawmaker Joseph Lee .
- Social worker Jeffrey Andrews and veteran Hong Kong lawyer John Clancey, a US citizen and the only primary organiser not charged, also recovered passports .
- Former Union Hospital School of Nursing principal Yuen Wai-kit, nurse Michael Lau, and Lee Chi-yung were likewise given back travel documents .
- The 47 democrats case arose from an unofficial primary held to boost chances in the 2020 Legislative Council election, which authorities alleged was subversion .
- Of the 47 charged under the Beijing-imposed national security law, two were acquitted in May 2024 and 45 later received jail terms up to a decade .
Why It Matters
The passport returns mark a notable post-case development for people caught up in one of Hong Kong’s most consequential national security prosecutions despite never being charged . HKFP said it had contacted police for comment, while Andrews said the return of his passport last April allowed him to resume overseas travel and social service work, and James To has reportedly reunited with family in the UK .