Agnes Chow Ting, 27, is a Hong Kong politician and social activist. She is a former member of the Standing Committee of Demosistō and former spokesperson of Scholarism. Her candidacy for the 2018 Hong Kong Island by-election, supported by the pro-democracy camp, was blocked by authorities, due to her party’s advocacy of self-determination for Hong Kong.
Chow was arrested on 30 August 2019 at her Tai Po home for allegedly participating in, and inciting, an unauthorized assembly at Wan Chai Hong Kong Police Headquarters on 21 June 2019. On the same day, many high-profile Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested, including Joshua Wong, Au Nok-hin, Andy Chan, and Jeremy Tam. She was freed the same day on bail, but her smartphone, like those of her fellow arrestees, was confiscated by police. Amnesty International called the arrests “an outrageous assault” on freedom of expression.
Chow pleaded guilty to the charges on 6 July 2020, telling the media she was mentally prepared to be sentenced to imprisonment. She was formally convicted on 5 August 2020.
Agnes Chow, Ivan Lam and Joshua Wong were put in custody until a trial scheduled on 2 December 2020, after a pre-trial hearing in the West Kowloon District court, that was having place on 23 November 2020, where they pleaded guilty regarding the events of a demonstration of June 2019 outside a Hong Kong police headquarters, where, that time of June 2019, thousands of protesters had demanded investigation of use of force by the police.
On 2 December 2020, Agnes Chow was sentenced to 10 months in jail. Amnesty International condemned the sentencing, saying that the Chinese authorities “send a warning to anyone who dares to openly criticize the government that they could be next”.
She was initially imprisoned at the medium-security Lo Wu Correctional Institution. On 31 December 2020, local media reported that Chow had been transferred to the maximum-security Tai Lam Centre for Women (where she was previously remanded), after she was classified as a Category A prisoner.
On 12 June 2021, Chow was released from prison after serving her 6-months sentence. Some supporters gathered outside to welcome her dressed in black and with yellow masks, shouting slogans in Cantonese related to the protests.