A Hong Kong court on Thursday sentenced the father of a US-based pro-democracy activist to eight months in prison, in what is the first known case of a family member being punished under the city’s national security legislation.
Kwok Yin-sang, 69, was convicted of attempting to handle financial assets linked to an “absconder” under the 2024 security law, widely known as Article 23. The case stems from his effort to withdraw money from an insurance policy held in the name of his daughter, Anna Kwok.
Anna Kwok, executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, condemned the ruling, calling it an act of “transnational repression.” She said her father was punished solely because of their family relationship.
The court heard that Kwok Yin-sang had taken out the insurance policy for his daughter when she was a child. After the policy came under her control at adulthood, he later tried to cancel it in 2025 and withdraw about $11,000. He was arrested that year on suspicion of dealing with funds belonging to a wanted activist.
Police have placed a HK$1 million bounty on Anna Kwok and barred others from managing her assets. She is among dozens of overseas activists targeted after the 2019 anti-government protests. Authorities allege she lobbied foreign officials for sanctions against China and Hong Kong.
Delivering the verdict, Acting Principal Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi noted the seriousness of the offence, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years, though the case was handled in a magistrates’ court with lower sentencing limits.
The ruling has drawn criticism from rights groups and foreign governments, while Hong Kong and Beijing insist the security laws are necessary to maintain stability and public order in the city.
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