HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court found the father of a wanted activist guilty of a national security violation on Wednesday (Feb 11) after he tried to end her insurance policy and withdraw the funds, drawing international criticism for the targeting of relatives of pro-democracy campaigners.
Kwok Yin-sang, 68, is the first person to be charged under a homegrown national security law, also known as Article 23, for "attempting to deal with, directly or indirectly, any funds or other financial assets or economic resources" belonging to an absconder.
His daughter, Anna Kwok, helps lead the Washington-based advocacy group Hong Kong Democracy Council, and is one of 34 overseas activists wanted by Hong Kong national security police. She is accused of colluding with foreign forces and police have offered a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,400) for her arrest.
Kwok Yin-sang was accused of trying to withdraw funds totalling HK$88,609 ($11,342) from an education savings insurance policy which he bought for her when she was almost two years old. He had pleaded not guilty and did not testify at the trial.
Acting Principal Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi said since Anna Kwok is a fugitive, directly or indirectly handling her insurance policy is illegal.
A sentence is yet to be pronounced.
According to the prosecution, when Kwok was arrested, he said under police caution: "I know my daughter is wanted by the Security Bureau. I was the one paying for her insurance policy. Since she's no longer in Hong Kong, I just cut it."
Kwok Yin-sang had initially been denied bail but he was later granted bail by the High Court with conditions imposed including a travel ban and a ban on communication with his daughter.
During the closing submission, defense lawyer Steven Kwan argued that section 89 and 90 of Article 23 should not apply in a case where a person was simply handling an insurance policy he had purchased a long time ago for his children.
"This... is a form of prosecution based on family ties," Kwan said.
Anna Kwok's brother was also arrested for the same crime and is currently on bail.
China imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 and the city's legislature passed a second set of national security laws known as Article 23 in 2024, to plug what authorities called "loopholes" in the national security regime. - Reuters
