Hong Kong activist Jimmy Sham questioned for over 20 hours at Japan airport due to national security conviction

Jimmy Sham, one of the activists convicted in Hong Kong’s largest national security law, was held for over 20 hours of questioning at a Japan airport during a trip earlier this month.

Former district councillor Jimmy Sham arrives at his home in Jordan at around 6.26am on May 30, 2025, after being released from prison. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The news was first reported by Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, which said Sham was detained at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, also known as Tokyo International Airport, upon arrival on June 16.

Sham told local media outlets, including Ming Pao and The Collective, that he declared his conviction and jail term in relation to the 47 democrats case to Japanese authorities when he landed at the airport for his five-day trip.

Immigration officers then informed him that Japan did not welcome visitors who have been jailed for more than one year, Sham recalled to local media. They also said he might be subjected to a screening that could last three to four days.

Sham said he explained to them that he was convicted in a political case that did not involve violence.

The activist was eventually allowed to enter Japan after nearly 22 hours of questioning.

‘Second punishment’

Sham was released from jail last May after serving time following his conviction in the city’s largest national security case. The case saw 47 opposition figures charged in 2021 with conspiring to commit subversion for their involvement in an unofficial democratic primary.

The activist, who pleaded guilty, was jailed for four years and three months.

Haneda Airport, also known as Tokyo International Airportt. File photo: 颐园居/ Wikicommons.

Sham told local media that while he understands Japanese immigration authorities needed to conduct security checks, he felt he was dealt “a second punishment” in Japan.

He said he had travelled to South Korea, Spain and Peru after his release from jail, and that immigration clearance was smooth every time.

Japanese authorities declined to comment on Sham’s case, according to Sankei Shimbun.

Sham is an LGBTQ activist and a former district councillor. He was also the ex-convenor of Civil Human Rights Front, a now-disbanded group that led marches during the 2019 protests and unrest.

He told the press after his release from jail that he had no plans to move out of Hong Kong.