Albert Ho Out on Bail

Ho greeted upon his release on bail

It was a nice surprise to see former pro-democratic lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan released on bail yesterday. He was jailed in May 2021 for 18 months for illegal assembly related to June 4, but then recently had a national security charge laid against him too for allegedly inciting others to subvert state power.

The 70-year-old looked like he lost some weight, as his colleague Emily Lau Wai-hing and and ex-district councillor Tsang Kin-shing came to pick Ho up.

Ho was serving an 18-month sentence

Lau posted a picture of Ho on her social media accounts, letting people know he was released.

He has a series of conditions he must follow, including: a cash bail of HK$700,000, reporting to the Wan Chai Police Station three times a week (where he could be re-arrested again anytime), he must surrender travel documents, observe nighttime curfews, and not contact any foreign officials directly or indirectly.

Ho has had cancer before, and had undergone surgery for lung cancer several years ago, but there are concerns the cancer has returned in an X-ray taken recently.

"He wanted to conduct a full body check... as we were worried that [he] may relapse," Lau said. "I am overjoyed [his bail was granted], as we did not have many expectations since there has been too much bad news recently."