Father of Hong Kong Activist Sentenced to Prison for National Security Violation

 Hong Kong. A Hong Kong court has sentenced the father of pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok, Kwok Yin-sang, to eight months in jail for violating national security laws. This case is the first involving the family of a pro-democracy activist who has fled overseas.

The 69-year-old Yin-sang was accused of attempting to manage the financial assets of his daughter, Anna Kwok, who left Hong Kong in 2020. He was convicted under Hong Kong's domestic law, 'Article 23.'

According to Hong Kong authorities, this law is necessary to control acts such as treason and separatism. Critics, however, view it as a tool to suppress dissent. Anna Kwok, 29, who currently resides in the United States, is accused of colluding with foreign forces. Hong Kong police have placed a HK$1 million bounty on her head. She is also the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council.

Her father and brother were arrested last year, but only the father was prosecuted. According to the prosecution, Kwok Yin-sang attempted to transfer approximately US$11,000 from an insurance policy purchased for his daughter during her childhood. The defense argued in court that the insurance was still in the father's name and constituted his property. However, the prosecution stated that the insurance automatically transferred to Anna's name when she became an adult.

The West Kowloon Magistrates' Court found him guilty on February 11. Before the sentencing, Anna Kwok told the BBC that her father's case was an attempt to suppress her activism overseas. 'My father's case shows that political freedom in Hong Kong has reached a new low. The Hong Kong government, learning from Beijing, is committed to suppressing all forms of freedom and activism,' she said.

Hong Kong Police and the government, responding to the BBC, stated that action was taken in accordance with the law. The government's statement said that legal action is not linked to political views, background, or profession. 'It is our responsibility to pursue suspects involved in crimes that endanger national security, even if they are overseas,' the government stated.