Hong Kong, 11 February — A Hong Kong court on Wednesday convicted a 69-year-old man under the city’s national security framework, in a case that has drawn criticism from international observers who argue that it risks extending criminal liability to family members of political activists abroad.
The defendant, Kok Yin-sang, was found guilty of breaching provisions introduced under the city’s recently enacted “Article 23” legislation, which supplements the Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL) that came into force in 2020. Prosecutors alleged that Kok had attempted to cancel an insurance policy established in his daughter’s name and withdraw funds linked to it, thereby interfering—directly or indirectly—with the financial assets of a person classified as a fugitive under national security provisions.
His daughter, Anna Kwok, is based in Washington, DC, and is associated with the Hong Kong Democracy Council. She is among 34 overseas activists named by Hong Kong’s national security police as wanted on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces. Authorities have offered a reward of HK$1 million (approximately US$127,400) for information leading to her arrest.
According to court submissions, Kok attempted to withdraw HK$88,609 (around US$11,342) from an insurance policy he had taken out for his daughter when she was about two years old. He pleaded not guilty and declined to testify in his own defence.
Anna Kwok responded on social media, stating that she had never owned the insurance policy in question and had neither sought nor received any funds from her father or any other source in Hong Kong. “Today my father was convicted simply for being my father,” she wrote, describing the proceedings as retaliatory.
A summary of the case is set out below:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Kok Yin-sang, 69 |
| Charge | Interfering with assets linked to a fugitive under Article 23 |
| Amount involved | HK$88,609 (~US$11,342) |
| Related individual | Anna Kwok (overseas activist) |
| Reward offered for daughter | HK$1,000,000 (~US$127,400) |
| Maximum sentence | Up to 7 years (2 years in Magistrates’ Court) |
| Next hearing | 26 February |
| Family context | Son also arrested under similar allegation; currently on bail |
The court held that any attempt to manage or access financial assets associated with a person designated as absconding under national security provisions could constitute an offence, whether direct or indirect. Defence counsel Steven Kwan argued that Kok’s intention had merely been to reclaim his own money, and suggested that a custodial sentence of no more than 14 days would be proportionate.
Human rights organisations voiced concern. Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, described the conviction as “a troubling example of collective punishment”, arguing that penalising a parent for the peaceful activism of a child undermines established principles of international human rights law.
Following the verdict, Kok’s bail was immediately revoked. He waved quietly to family members in the courtroom before being escorted away. Sentencing is scheduled for 26 February.
The case is the first prosecution under Hong Kong’s expanded Article 23 legislation, marking what legal observers say could be a significant test of how broadly the city’s national security provisions may be applied in practice.