Joseph Lee Kok-long

Political Prisoner

Joseph Lee Kok-long 李國麟

Age at Arrest: 61

Former chairman, Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff

Dr. Joseph Lee Kok-long was a former member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, representing the Health Services functional constituency from 2004 to 2020. Lee was also the Founding Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies of the Open University of Hong Kong. He led the Department for 23 years before resigning in 2019. Lee was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 2006 and awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2009 by the Hong Kong government.

Additionally, Lee was the former chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff (AHKNS) – the largest nurses union in the city with 20,000 members. Lee fought for the rights of nurses in Hong Kong, advocating for a revamp of the government’s health policy. In 2019, the AHKNS staged a protest at the government’s headquarters to urge the government to address nurses and hospital staff working extra shifts, skipping meals, and reaching a breaking point during peak flu season every year.

In July 2020, Lee ran in the “35+” democratic primary elections and was arrested in January 2021 for his participation, but was not charged. (Photo: Stand News)

Charge, incident & sentence:

Charge: Inciting subversion of state power
Incident: Organising and participating in the unofficial primary elections for the Hong Kong Legislative Council in July 2020
Sentencing: Not charged