Free Lee Cheuk-yan is an international campaign led by the global trade union movement, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Lee Cheuk-yan, a lifelong champion of workers’ rights and democracy in Hong Kong.
Lee, the former General Secretary of the now-dissolved Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), has been imprisoned since 2021, facing ongoing prosecution under the Law of the People’s Republic of China to Safeguard National Security in Hong Kong (NSL) for allegedly “inciting subversion of state power” – a charge that criminalises peaceful activism and silences pro-democracy voices.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and trade unions worldwide stand in solidarity with Lee and all those who continue to defend democracy and freedom of association in Hong Kong.
Join us in raising the following demands to the Hong Kong government.
1. Drop all charges against Lee Cheuk-yan.
2. Drop all charges against Chow Hang-tung who faces similar accusations.
3. Release all trade unionists and activists imprisoned for exercising their rights.
4. Repeal the National Security Law (NSL) and the National Security Ordinance (NSO).
5. Respect international human rights standards, including freedom of association and expression.
What is the case about?
Lee Cheuk-yan was first imprisoned in April 2021 for organising peaceful assemblies during the 2019 mass protests demanding democracy and universal suffrage.
While serving a 20-month sentence, Lee was hit with new national security charges in September 2021 and accused of “inciting subversion” through his role as Vice-Chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HK Alliance). The HK Alliance was the group that organised peaceful candlelight vigils on 4 June every year in Hong Kong, the only place within China where public rallies to mourn the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown could take place.
In August 2021, Hong Kong’s national security police unleashed a politically motivated investigation into the HK Alliance, accusing it of being a “foreign agent.” Rejecting the allegation, four Standing Committee members – including Chair, Chow Hang-tung, and Vice-Chair, Albert Ho – were arrested on 9 September 2021. Together with Lee Cheuk-yan, who was already in prison at that time, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho were charged with “inciting subversion” under the National Security Law on the same day.
Authorities raided and shut down the June Fourth Museum and froze HK Alliance’s assets, eventually forcing the organisation to disband later that month.
Despite his imprisonment, Lee continues to inspire. In 2022, he was awarded the Silver Rose Lifetime Achievement Award
by SOLIDAR at the European Parliament for his lifelong dedication to democracy and workers’ rights. A vacant chair at the 16 November 2022 ceremony served as a poignant symbol of his imprisonment.
When will the trial take place?
The Free Lee Cheuk-yan Campaign is focused on his upcoming trial, which was originally set for 11 November 2025 and has now been postponed to 22 January 2026. Through this campaign, we will intensify our solidarity and amplify our call for Lee Cheuk-yan’s release before, during, and after the trial – until he is free.
On the day of his trial on 22 January 2026, Lee Cheuk-yan will have been in prison for 1,742 days, enduring a prolonged pre-trial detention. He has also been denied bail repeatedly. Under the NSL, defendants must prove they pose no “national security risk” to be granted bail. This stringent bail condition violates the right to a fair and timely trial under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Fellow activist Chow Hang-tung, also charged in the same case, has endured solitary confinement multiple times. These tactics illustrate the erosion of due process and civil and political rights under the NSL.
Hong Kong: What is the bigger picture?
The NSL was China’s response to suppress Hong Kong people’s long-standing demands for universal suffrage and the high degree of autonomy promised under the Basic Law when the territory was handed over in 1997. It has been used to severely restrict basic rights and freedoms that were once enjoyed in Hong Kong and protected under international human rights laws.
Moreover, under the guise of “national security,” authorities have weaponised the law to silence dissent and crush the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
Independent trade unions and civil society organisations faced relentless and systematic crackdowns:
1. Arbitrary arrests
- Between 2020 and 2024, 316 protesters and activists [1], including 11 trade unionists were arbitrarily arrested under broadly framed allegations of endangering national security.
- Eight trade unionists have been convicted with prison sentences ranging from 19 to 81 months.
- Winnie Yu, General Secretary of the Hospital Authority Employees’ Alliance (HAEA), was convicted of conspiracy to subversion for taking part in the 2020 Legislative Council election primaries on behalf of her trade union. She is serving a six-year and nine-month prison sentence..
- Carol Ng, President of disbanded HKCTU, completed a sentence of four years and six months in September 2025 for the same conviction.
- Eighty-nine per cent of those charged were denied bail under prolonged pre-trial detention.
- Self-exiled unionist, Christopher Mung, former Chief Executive of HKCTU is under an effective arrest warrant. His passport was cancelled and his assets were frozen by the Hong Kong government.
2. Dismantling independent trade unions and civil society
- More than 200 trade unions [2], were forced to disband or had their registration cancelled between 2021 and 2024, including the HKCTU and the 90,000-member Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union.
- The HK Alliance and an unknown number of local and international CSOs, as well as 12 media outlets have been compelled to close under the increasingly repressive environment.
- Independent trade unionists and journalists’ organisations in Hong Kong endure surveillance and harassment, while self-exiled activists abroad face transnational repression.
3. Criminalising legitimate rights
- In March 2024, the Hong Kong government adopted the National Security Ordinance (NSO), introducing new national security offences such as “foreign interference.” The NSO can be broadly applied to criminalise the legitimate exercise of trade union rights and civil liberties, including international solidarity activities.
- The Trade Union Ordinance (2025)
was amended to further restrict trade union freedoms. Such amendments prohibit members convicted of national security offences from assuming office and restrict trade unions from receiving foreign donations or affiliating with and assuming office in international trade union organisations.
4. Rejecting obligations under international human rights laws
- The governments of China and Hong Kong rejected the recommendations of the 2022 UN Human Rights Council, urging them to repeal the NSL and to release trade unionists and human rights defenders imprisoned for exercising internationally protected rights.
- The governments of China and Hong Kong have also ignored the repeated calls from the International Labour Organization
to release Lee Cheuk-yan and to ensure that the NSL, NSO, and other related laws are not arbitrarily used to restrict trade union activities.
What can trade unions do?
Lee Cheuk-yan’s struggle is not just about Hong Kong. It is about defending the universal rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and democracy.
Join us in taking action to #FreeLeeCheukYan and fight for democracy in Hong Kong and anywhere else that it is attacked:
- Raise awareness – Share Lee’s story within your networks, at union meetings, and on social media using the hashtag #FreeLeeCheukYan.
- Demand action – Write to your government and urge that it calls for Lee’s release and for the repeal of the NSL and NSO.
- Organise solidarity actions – Organise public actions in support of for Lee Cheuk-yan. Amplify the #FreeLeeCheukYan message on social media. Publish statements to add to the growing global call for his release.
Defending democracy is not a crime! Free Lee Cheuk-yan!
