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Hong Kong Convicts Anna Kwok’s Father in First Article 23 Case Over Absconder’s Assets

The verdict tests the 2024 security law by criminalizing a parent’s attempt to access an exiled activist’s insurance funds.

Overview

  • West Kowloon Court found Kwok Yin-sang guilty of attempting to cash out HK$88,609 from an AIA insurance policy in his daughter Anna’s name.
  • Acting Principal Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi ruled the policy constituted her assets and said Kwok knew she had been designated an absconder.
  • Sentencing is set for February 26, and Kwok was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty.
  • Defense lawyer Steven Kwan argued the Article 23 provisions should not cover routine family financial matters, calling the case prosecution based on family ties.
  • Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the ruling as a dangerous precedent, as Anna Kwok remains overseas under a HK$1 million bounty and absconder designation.