Political Prisoners

We campaign to free all of Hong Kong’s imprisoned political prisoners.

An estimated 10,000 Hong Kongers were arrested in the wake of the 2019 protests. Since 2019, there have been nearly 2,000 political prisoners jailed in Hong Kong, just under half of whom remain behind bars. These prisoners include high-profile individuals who were active in the pro-democracy movement, such as Jimmy Lai, Joshua Wong, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Gwyneth Ho. Securing the release of these political prisoners should be a top priority for democratic governments and their legislatures worldwide.

What is the definition of a political prisoner?

The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China defines a political prisoner as “an individual detained or imprisoned for exercising their human rights under international law, such as peaceful assembly, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of expression, including the freedom to advocate for peaceful social or political change, and to criticise government policy or government officials.”

Who was the first person arrested under the National Security Law?

On July 27, 2021, Tong Ying-kit became the first person to be convicted of a crime under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Tong was convicted of inciting secession under Article 21 of the NSL, and of terrorism under Article 24. Tong Ying-kit was convicted of after riding a motorbike into police and flying a flag calling for Hong Kong’s “liberation”.

How can we advocate for political prisoners in Hong Kong?

To advocate for the release of political prisoners in Hong Kong, the U.S. government, should:

Strengthen and streamline the Defending Freedoms Project to improve outcomes in political prisoner advocacy. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan caucus of the United States House of Representatives set up to defend international human rights, should consider requiring Congressional offices to submit an annual report detailing the steps they took to support the political prisoners they “adopted” after securing their release. The Commission should routinely provide offices with a list of eligible political prisoners for adoption. They can also broaden their outreach by improving the quality of resources given to constituents with family members or friends who may be eligible for adoption on how to craft effective applications for members.
Develop a mechanism between Congress and the executive branch to press for the release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong. Congress should mandate a report from the relevant bureaus and offices at the Department of State that would outline actions taken to promote the release of political prisoners from China. In addition, Congress should hold regular meetings with executive branch staff to discuss updates about Hong Kong political prisoners’ well-being, steps taken to secure their release, and plans for future advocacy.
Encourage members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to adopt additional Hong Kong political prisoners. Among the thousands of political prisoners in Hong Kong, no one has been adopted by a member of Congress under the Defending Freedoms Project. Although the USCIRF has adopted Jimmy Lai as religious prisoner of conscience, it should continue its efforts for other religious advocates that are imprisoned for political reasons in Hong Kong.

“Every political prisoner represents a life that is stunted, a woman or man cut off from child or spouse. The Chinese gulag has spread across the country like a cancer, even extending to Hong Kong since the introduction of the 2020 National Security Law.”

– Mark Clifford, CFHK Foundation President

Our Impact

Thanks to the CFHK Foundation’s advocacy, legislatures including the U.S. Congress, UK Parliament, Canadian Parliament, European Parliament, and others have debated the issue of Hong Kong political prisoners. For example, the Foundation has advised on several pieces of U.S. legislation aiming to sanction Hong Kong officials for their role in unjustly incarcerating Hong Kong political prisoners. “To Provide a Review of Sanctions with Respect to Hong Kong (H.R. 6153/S.3177) and “To Extend Authorities to Impose Sanctions Related to Hong Kong, Tibet, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” (H.R. 8366) are two examples from 2024. Elsewhere, the European Parliament in November 2024 adopted an urgent resolution condemning the sentencing of the Hong Kong 45 and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all pro-democracy activists. CFHK Foundation staff have testified before elected officials in the United States, Canada, and the U.K.

Work We've Done on the Political Prisoners Issue

US State Department Hong Kong Policy Act Report Recognizes Intensification of National Security Crackdown

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025 – The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation applauds the U.S. Department of State for


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We campaign to free all of Hong Kong’s imprisoned political prisoners.

“Every political prisoner represents a life that is stunted, a woman or man cut off from child or spouse. The Chinese gulag has spread across the country like a cancer, even extending to Hong Kong since the introduction of the 2020 National Security Law.”

Our Impact

Work We've Done on the Political Prisoners Issue

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