Hong Kong activist Edward Leung, who coined the now-banned slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times”, has been released from prison after spending four years behind bars for a 2016 protest.
Mr Leung was a prominent independence activist and the spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous, a pro-independence group in the city that was outspoken about “localism” and the need to preserve a distinct Hong Kong identity.
In 2018, the 30-year-old activist was convicted of assaulting a police officer and rioting during what is now known as the Fishball Revolution.
Initially sentenced to six years, Mr Leung had his sentence reduced by two years for good behaviour, according to local media reports.
Mr Leung’s release comes during a crackdown on political dissent in Hong Kong, with authorities arresting a majority of Hong Kong’s outspoken pro-democracy activists over the past two years.
Many of the city’s prominent activists are currently behind bars or have fled overseas to continue their activism.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page early on Wednesday morning, Mr Leung said that he had been released from prison and is back with his family.
“After four years, I want to cherish this precious time to reunite with my family and resume a normal life with them,” Mr Leung said, before thanking his supporters for their concern and love.
He is known for coining the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times” for his election campaign, when he attempted to run for a seat in the legislature in 2016. He was later disqualified.
The law outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion to intervene in the city’s affairs.
Mr Leung advocated so-called forceful resistance against political violence in his campaigns, which was considered a polarising opinion and drew opposition from the city’s more traditional pro-democracy camp.
In a post on Mr Leung’s Facebook page Tuesday – a day before his release – his family urged supporters to let Mr Leung “reunite with his family” and urged supporters to prioritise their own safety.
The post also stated that, following legal advice, Mr Leung’s Facebook page would be taken down and the content would be removed on January 19 to protect him.
