"A Hong Kong court has found the father of a wanted activist guilty of a national security violation, 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$1m ($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."
"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."
Kwok Yin-sang, 68, was found guilty of a national security violation for attempting to end and withdraw funds from an education savings insurance policy belonging to his fugitive daughter. He is the first person charged under Article 23 for directly or indirectly dealing with funds or economic resources of an absconder. His daughter, Anna Kwok, helps lead the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council and is among 34 overseas activists wanted on allegations of colluding with foreign forces; police offered a HK$1m bounty for her arrest. Kwok pleaded not guilty, did not testify, and sentencing is pending. The high court later granted him bail with travel and communication restrictions. Defence counsel argued the Article 23 provisions should not cover handling a long-held insurance policy and described the prosecution as based on family ties.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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