“Hong Kong 47” case defendant Ko Yiu-lam, sentenced to 6 years and 7 months, spends his 55th birthday in prison

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On May 13, 2026, this outlet learned that May 12, 2026, was the 55th birthday of Ko Yiu-lam (Ricky Or Yiu-lam), who was sentenced to 6 years and 7 months in the “Hong Kong 47” case. He spent his birthday in prison.

Ko Yiu-lam: Born on May 12, 1971, English name Ricky Or Yiu-lam, formerly a British Hong Kong national and now a national of the People’s Republic of China (Hong Kong), former chairman of the Tseung Kwan O People’s Livelihood Concern Group, member and former secretary-general of “The Frontier,” former Standing Committee member of the Democratic Party, former convener of the District Council Alliance, former chairman of the owners’ corporation of Kwong Ming Court, former councillor for the Kwong Ming constituency of the Sai Kung District Council in Hong Kong, pan-democracy figure, political prisoner held by China.

Earlier, he was an audio equipment businessman; in the 2003 Hong Kong District Council election, he ran for office for the first time and successfully won election as councillor for the Kwong Ming constituency of the Sai Kung District Council. He later joined “The Frontier” as a member, becoming the party’s only district councillor in Sai Kung, Hong Kong;

In the 2004 Hong Kong Legislative Council election, he and two others registered to run in the New Territories East constituency, but, due to coordination among the pan-democrats in that constituency, they instead joined the “July 1 Alliance,” allowing members of multiple democratic parties to run together. He ultimately lost after ranking seventh;

In the 2007 Hong Kong District Council election, he ran again in the Kwong Ming constituency and ultimately won re-election by a narrow margin; in 2008 and 2012, he ran in the Hong Kong Legislative Council elections twice more, but lost both times by a small number of votes. During this period, as “The Frontier” merged with the Democratic Party, he subsequently joined the Democratic Party in his capacity as secretary-general of “The Frontier”;

In September 2018, after the Democratic Party’s Central Committee passed a resolution designating the “Tseung Kwan O People’s Livelihood Concern Group” as a political group, he and the other members of that party, who were also Democratic Party members, were unable to run under dual party affiliations. This led him to criticize Democratic Party legislator Lam Cheuk-ting and others for allegedly deliberately arranging for candidates to clash in the 201 9 Hong Kong District Council election and for acting in an overbearing manner. In December of the same year, he and 59 other party members announced their withdrawal from the Democratic Party;

In the 2019 District Council election, he returned to contest the Kwong Ming constituency in his capacity as convener of the “District Council Alliance” and chairman of the owners’ corporation of Kwong Ming Court, ultimately winning election as a Sai Kung district councillor;

In the 2020 Legislative Council election, he took part in the pan-democrats’ New Territories East primary, but the Legislative Council election was ultimately cancelled by the Hong Kong government; in January 2021, he and a number of other pan-democracy figures were arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to subvert state power and were later released; on February 28 of the same year, he was arrested again on suspicion of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law by participating in the pan-democrats’ Legislative Council primary involving 47 people. On March 6, after he indicated through his lawyer that he would immediately withdraw from all political affiliations and organizations, the High Court approved his release on bail pending trial;

In October 2021, his qualification as a district councillor was revoked by the government, and he was barred from standing for election for five years;

On May 30, 2024, he was remanded in custody and continued to be detained, and designated national security law judges of the Hong Kong High Court found him guilty of “conspiracy to subvert state power”; on November 19 of the same year, the 47 defendants were sentenced at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts in Hong Kong. Because he had signed the “No Regrets” declaration and “pleaded not guilty,” he was ultimately handed a heavy sentence of 6 years and 7 months in prison, with his sentence scheduled to end in 2030. His current place of detention is unknown.