Lester Shum Ngo-fai (岑敖暉) is a Hong Kong democracy activist, former Hong Kong Federation of Students deputy secretary-general and Umbrella Movement leader and a former Hong Kong 47 political prisoner. He was released on January 26, 2026 after completing his sentence.
Hong Kong 47 case
Hong Kong Watch currently lists Shum as in jail. He was sentenced to 4 years 6 months for conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law arising from the July 2020 democratic primary.
Earlier imprisonment
Hong Kong Watch separately records a six-month sentence for participation in the June 4, 2020 candlelight vigil. That sentence is preserved as a distinct custody episode rather than merged into the Hong Kong 47 sentence.
Current status
Current verified state: released / former political prisoner. Hong Kong Watch’s January 2026 briefing records his release on January 26, 2026 after completion of his sentence.
Sources and archive
Hong Kong Watch prisoner profile · Free China Hong Kong 47 sentencing archive · Hong Kong political-prisoner hub
Last status review: September 13, 2026.
Hong Kong 47 — current status
Sentence: 4 years 6 months.
Current verified status (26 January 2026): released on 26 January 2026 after completing his sentence. Release status is recorded from dated reporting, not inferred from sentence arithmetic.
Media and source baseline
Hong Kong Political Prisoners & the Erosion of Freedom — current-status hub