"Under the domestic national security law, known as Article 23, providing any financial support to "absconders" is a criminal offense. Kwok Yin-sang pleaded not guilty. In handing down the sentence, the judge said the offense was serious and that Kwok Yin-sang had shown no remorse, according to Hong Kong Free Press."
"Anna Kwok, in an interview with NPR, said the charge was "ridiculous" as she had never taken control of the insurance policy, signed any papers or communicated with her father about benefitting financially in any way. The Hong Kong courts "are constructing a storyline that is essentially using legalese to put my dad in jail, just to target me," she said."
"Kwok's imprisonment marks the first time a family member of a Hong Kong activist has been jailed in connection with their relatives' overseas lobbying, marking a new chapter of repression in the once-autonomous financial center. Beijing has long deployed such tactics against overseas Chinese dissident."
A Hong Kong court convicted Kwok Yin-sang under Article 23 national security law for attempting to withdraw funds from an education savings insurance policy he purchased for his exiled daughter, pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok. Anna Kwok, 29, lives in Washington as executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council and is wanted by authorities with a $1 million bounty. Prosecutors argued that providing financial support to "absconders" violates national security law. The judge deemed the offense serious and found no remorse. Anna Kwok characterized the charge as ridiculous, stating she never controlled the policy or communicated with her father about financial benefits. This case represents the first imprisonment of a family member connected to an activist's overseas lobbying activities.
#hong-kong-national-security-law #pro-democracy-activism #political-repression #family-prosecution #article-23
Read at www.npr.org
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