NEW YORK (Oct. 24, 2025) — Last week, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) in the case of Hong Kong activist Owen Chow.
Chow is a member of the Hong Kong 47 (HK47), a group of 47 pro-democracy advocates arrested for their involvement in the 2020 primaries within Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp. The 2020 primaries followed historic mass protests in 2019 in opposition to a bill which would have allowed the Hong Kong chief executive to extradite suspects on a case-by-case basis to any jurisdiction, including mainland China, without an extradition treaty. In this context, key figures in the city’s pro-democracy movement proposed a primary election within the pro-democracy camp to win a majority in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. These elections became the basis of the Hong Kong government’s tyrannical crackdown on dissidents and the political opposition unfriendly to the Chinese Communist Party.
“Chow’s case epitomizes the crackdown that has been unfolding in Hong Kong, where the government is weaponizing the National Security Law (NSL) to crush dissent. Chow and his fellow members of HK47 were arrested and arbitrarily detained simply for exercising their basic rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association in pursuit of democracy. The government responded with draconian sentences to instill fear across the entire community,” said HRF Legal & Program Officer Claudia Bennett. “Chow — a young nursing student who stepped into activism as Hong Kong’s freedoms eroded — is now paying with nearly a decade of his life for simply having the courage to stand up for human rights. His bravery should be honored, not punished.”
On Feb. 28, 2021, Chow was charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion” under Article 22(3) of the infamous NSL. The NSL, passed in response to the 2019 protests, criminalizes anything vaguely considered secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign or external forces. It also grants the police enhanced investigatory powers and allows the government to handpick judges and prosecutors for NSL trials. The UN, independent experts, and democratic governments worldwide have criticized the law as contributing to the erosion of the rule of law in Hong Kong.
While Chow was initially released on bail under highly restrictive conditions, including a curfew, prohibitions from making speeches or posting on social media, and a requirement to report to the police daily between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., his bail was revoked on Jan. 12, 2022, and he has remained in detention since.
The closed-door trial of Chow and others in HK47 did not begin until Feb. 6, 2023. On Nov. 19, 2024, Chow was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison, the second-longest sentence for the HK47. The length of his sentence was based on his role in drafting a document asking the primary candidates to obey the 2019 protestors’ demands, as well as his Facebook posts and slogans that the prosecution claimed proved he was part of a “Scheme” to overthrow the Hong Kong government. Chow appealed his conviction and sentence on July 14, 2025, and is still awaiting a decision.
“Chow is arbitrarily detained and unjustly sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for exercising his fundamental rights to be a voice for the silenced people of Hong Kong. His lionhearted fight for human rights and democracy symbolizes an entire generation’s relentless pursuit of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. The Chinese government fears him and the spark he is igniting,” said Joey Siu, spokesperson for Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas. “As his appeal proceeds, the UN and international community must continue to observe closely and urge the Hong Kong authorities to right their wrongs and free Chow, along with the rest of HK47.”
HRF’s submission highlights the Hong Kong government’s systematic repression of activists and pro-democracy leaders. HRF urges the UNWGAD to determine that Chow’s detention is arbitrary under international law and demand the Hong Kong government release him immediately.
Supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies.
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