The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), an independent panel of five human rights experts that investigates allegations of arbitrary arrest and detention by governments around the world recently ruled that the Hong Kong government had arbitrarily detained Chow Ka-cheng (邹家成), violating international law.
Chow Ka-shing is a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and former student leader who rose to prominence during the 2019 anti-extradition protests and later became a candidate in the 2020 pro-democracy primary election for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo). He studied nursing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and was one of the younger figures in the city’s democracy movement.
Hong Kong police arrested Chow on Jan. 6 2021 with 52 other pro-democracy politicians and activists in one of the largest national security operations since Beijing imposed the National Security Law (NSL) in June 2020
The WGAD called on the Hong Kong authorities to immediately release Chow and provide appropriate compensation. New York based Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomed the ruling and expressed hope that the case would create a “ripple effect.”
Working group rules Hong Kong government arbitrarily detained Chow Ka-cheng
In October 2025, the Human Rights Foundation submitted an individual complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, alleging that Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Owen Chow Ka-shing had been arbitrarily detained. Joey Siu, a spokesperson for Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas, supported the petition and called for Chow’s release.
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Last month, the Working Group issued its opinion document (A/HRC/WGAD/2026/26), ruling that Chow’s imprisonment by the Hong Kong authorities constituted “arbitrary detention” in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The Working Group stated that the authorities’ detention of Chow was linked to his personal political views and democratic advocacy, and characterized the detention as discriminatory and retaliatory, targeting him for his public criticism of government policies.
The Working Group called on the Hong Kong government to immediately release Chow Ka-cheng and provide him with appropriate compensation. In addition, the Working Group criticized the strict bail requirements under the Hong Kong National Security Law and the arrangement of denying jury trials, stating that these measures make it difficult for detainees to ensure that their right to liberty is not unlawfully deprived.
The Working Group also urged the Hong Kong government to repeal the National Security Law and, until its repeal, stop applying the law.
Human Rights Foundation: Hopes ruling will have a ‘ripple effect’
On July 27, the Human Rights Foundation welcomed the Working Group’s decision, describing it as a significant victory and expressing hope that the ruling would have a “ripple effect” on other cases involving political prisoners in Hong Kong.
Claudia Bennett, HRF’s Legal and Program Director, told The Chaser News that the Working Group determined Chow Ka-cheng’s case constituted arbitrary detention because trials under the National Security Law do not provide for jury trials and impose strict bail thresholds. She said she believed the same standards could apply to other political prisoners detained under the national security law.
Bennett stated that Chow Ka-cheng’s situation was not an isolated incident in Hong Kong, but rather one of many cases in which the Hong Kong government has used the National Security Law to suppress dissent.
She said the Working Group’s ruling in Chow’s case carried important significance for all political prisoners in Hong Kong. She called on the international community to stand in solidarity with Chow Ka-cheng and all Hong Kong prisoners of conscience, and urged the Hong Kong government to immediately release all political prisoners.
Regarding the Hong Kong government’s practice of ignoring such reports from the international community, Bennett acknowledged that this is a difficult issue. However, she said she believes the ruling would help the organization engage in diplomatic efforts with governments around the world and encourage them to pressure the Hong Kong authorities to release Chow Ka-cheng as soon as possible.
According to available information, Chow Ka-cheng’s arrest was primarily linked to his participation in an organization of the 2020 Hong Kong pro-democracy primary election, in which he was accused of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law by committing “conspiracy to subvert state power.”
He was accused of initiating and signing the “No Regrets for the Ink” (《墨落无悔》) declaration, promoting a strategy of indiscriminately vetoing the government’s budget in order to paralyze the administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and advancing the “Five Demands” put forward by protesters during the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement.
In addition, Chow had previously been arrested and prosecuted in connection with the “July 1 Legislative Council Occupation Case,” in which he was charged with rioting, as well as for other incidents including allegedly violating prison regulations by possessing unauthorized documents while incarcerated.
In November 2024, Chow Ka-cheng was convicted of “conspiracy to subvert state power” in the Hong Kong 47 democrats case and sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison. Combined with his conviction for the rioting offense related to the July 1 Legislative Council occupation case, his total sentence amounted to 12 years and 10 months, with his expected release date in November 2032.
Hong Kong 47 democrats case
The Hong Kong 47 democrats case is the largest prosecution launched since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. The case originated from the “35+” pro-democracy primary election held by Hong Kong’s opposition camp in July 2020 ahead of the Legislative Council elections.
The Hong Kong government accused the 47 participants and organizers of the primary election of “conspiracy to subvert state power” and carried out mass arrests and prosecutions in January 2021.
Among the 47 defendants, 31 pleaded guilty and 16 pleaded not guilty. Many defendants had already spent years in custody before trial. In November 2024, the High Court convicted 45 defendants.
Those convicted included Benny Tai, a former University of Hong Kong law scholar and one of the alleged primary organizers, received the heaviest sentence of 10 years in prison. Chow Ka-cheng was sentenced to 7 years and 9 months, with his total sentence reaching 12 years and 10 months when combined with the riot conviction.
Ng Kin-wai received 7 years and 3 months; Gwyneth Ho received 7 years; Andrew Chiu received 7 years and Joshua Wong received 4 years and 8 months.
The Hong Kong government’s sentencing decisions drew strong condemnation from the international community. The United States and the United Kingdom strongly criticized Beijing and Hong Kong authorities for allegedly abusing the National Security Law to suppress dissent and impose lengthy sentences on pro-democracy figures. They argued that the prosecutions had severely damaged Hong Kong’s rule of law and international reputation, and announced countermeasures and sanctions targeting relevant Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
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