Hong Kong activist loses appeal over prison letter but gets lighter sentence

Court upholds Owen Chow’s conviction for unauthorised delivery of complaint letter against prison service, but replaces jail sentence with fine

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Opposition activist Owen Chow is currently serving a total jail sentence of 12 years and 10½ months arising from two previous cases. Photo: Facebook

Published: 5:40pm, 12 May 2025Updated: 5:58pm, 12 May 2025

A Hong Kong opposition activist currently serving jail time under the national security law has lost an appeal against his conviction for arranging the unauthorised delivery of a complaint letter out of prison two years ago, but has convinced a court to impose a lighter penalty.

The High Court on Monday upheld Owen Chow Ka-shing’s conviction for instructing one of his legal advisers to take his complaint against the Correctional Services Department to the Office of the Ombudsman, a watchdog that focuses on public administration concerns.

But the court agreed to replace his three-day jail sentence with a HK$1,800 (US$231) fine. The same penalty was earlier imposed on Chow’s lawyer, Phyllis Woo Wing-see, whose appeal against her conviction was similarly dismissed on Monday.

Chow, 28, is serving a total sentence of 12 years and 10½ months arising from two previous cases, including a high-profile trial implicating 45 former politicians and activists linked to an unofficial legislative “primary” election in 2020.

He explained in an earlier hearing that he covertly handed over the complaint letter to Woo during a meeting at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre on May 2, 2023, out of concern that the prison operator would withhold the document.

The complaint letter alleged prison officers barred Chow from receiving two books on Buddhism and tore off their covers when they were returned to the sender.

Chow’s complaint letter had alleged prison officers barred him from receiving two books on Buddhism. Photo: Warton Li

Hong Kong activist loses appeal over prison letter but gets lighter sentence

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Court upholds Owen Chow’s conviction for unauthorised delivery of complaint letter against prison service, but replaces jail sentence with fine

Court upholds Owen Chow’s conviction for unauthorised delivery of complaint letter against prison service, but replaces jail sentence with fine