Eddie Chu's First Public Statement since Being Released from Prison
Titled "Homecoming-Gratitude," he reassures his many admirers and supporters that he's ok
This is part of the Hong Kong Voices series which presents the voices of people in Hong Kong who are persecuted. It’s meant to give people in the rest of the world a chance to listen to them directly. A full list of the posts in the series can be found here.
On January 15, 2026, Eddie Chu Hoi-dick was released from prison after serving four years and five months for “conspiracy to subvert state power.” He was one of 47 charged for taking part in a pro-democracy primary election in 2020.
He was actually a sitting Legislative Council representative at the time. One of his nicknames was “King of Votes” because he was elected to Legco in 2016 with 84,121 votes, the most ever for a single candidate. He was actually my Legco representative, and he was much loved in my neighborhood because he was one of the few politicians who actually not only came to visit us but developed a relationship with us both as constituents and as members of the pro-democracy movement. As his 2016 vote tally indicates, that affection—I would call it devotion—to him was widespread, not only in the constituency of New Territories West which he formally represented in Legco but throughout Hong Kong. Hong Kongers recognized that he was a genuine “man of the people,” having come up through grassroots movements over the course of years and championed causes dear to many hearts. He was also one of the most innovate thinkers of the pro-democracy movement, especially after the Umbrella Movement of 2014. To me, as a political leader, he represented hope for the future. If people like Edie led Hong Kong, it would be a more humane, more democratic, more rights-respecting and more competently governed place. He’s one of those people I wish was far better known beyond Hong Kong, as not only do I think he represents the best of the pro-democracy movement but he also has ideas about democracy of great relevance to the rest of the world.
His release on January 15 was initially similar to the releases of the 14 previous HK45 prisoners (45 of the 47 put on trial were convicted; two were acquitted): At 5:41 am on that Thursday morning, curtained vans passed through the gates of Stanley Prison, in one of which was Eddie.
He reportedly arrived at his home in Tiu Keng Leng at about 6:20. This is where his release differed from those of the previous 14. At least ten police officers, some in plainclothes, some in uniform, were outside his home. They attempted to keep waiting reporters at a distance. At least two reporters were stop-and-searched by police and required to give their ID information. The closest anyone got to getting a photo of Eddie is the following:
A man suspected of being a plainclothes police officer grabs the back of Eddie’s jacket and “guides” him toward the entrance of the building where he lives. It was the first instance of police having such a heavy presence at the delivery point of an HK45 prisoner. I was actually concerned for Eddie: I wondered whether there was something about his physical or mental state that the regime did not want anyone to see. Nevertheless, I posted the news on my old neighborhood chat group. The response was pure elation: he’s as much loved as ever.
Because of my concern, I was relieved when a reporter who had been staking out his residence later got video of him returning home accompanied by three others who appeared to be friends that same day at about 4 pm. The photo at the top of this post is a screenshot from that video. You can see the video here. He didn’t really want to talk to the reporter and had little to say, but for me, it was great just to see his smile and to see that in affect and disposition, he was the same Eddie as ever; at least outwardly; I’m sure he’s change much too.
Days passed, and then on January 21, six days later, he posted his first public statement since his release, the translation of which you can find below. This is actually his first public statement since January 5, 2022, more than four years ago. Four years of silence. Four years of most of us wondering how he was. The number of Hong Kong political prisoners who have chosen to issue public statements has declined sharply over the years, and Eddie was part of that very noticeable trend. For that reason, it’s all the better to know he’s ok.
Homecoming - Gratitude
Sorry it took me six days to let everyone know I'm safe after being released. Due to new obstacles brought about by technology, it took several days to get this working (Facebook is still not working).
My health is okay, and my eye condition has received proper treatment. The insomnia I had while in prison already significantly improved by the third day after my release, which is quite miraculous. Returning home, everything was the same, except for a cat and a bunch of letters I sent home. My mother, wife, and daughter—the three most important women in my life—helped me quickly regain the memories and feel of home. Without their constant visits over the past four years, my time in prison would have been much harder.
I also received countless encouraging letters from friends over these four years, but sometimes because of "not enough time" in prison (this is a bit hard to explain), and sometimes because of a lack of energy, I wasn't able to reply to everyone individually, which I feel very guilty about. Thank you all sincerely for your concern. In Hong Kong prison slang, receiving mail is called "receiving love," a vivid description indeed: Inmates who receive mail read it over and over, and even their steps become lighter; those who receive no mail and receive no visitors are called "dormant volcanoes"—outwardly calm, but their emotions are all bottled up inside.
I also want to thank those who cared for me in prison. Prison is a very special place. Those earning millions a year and living a high life and those sleeping under bridges struggling for three meals a day become equal once they put on the same prison uniform. This allowed me to have in-depth conversations with people I had no chance to meet before, broadening my horizons within the walls. Thank you again, everyone, and best wishes to you all.