Source: Amnesty International –
Responding to a Hong Kong court’s conviction of the father of US-based pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok under the city’s Article 23 law, Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas spokesperson Joey Siu said:
“This conviction is the first time a family member of a ‘wanted’ pro-democracy activist living abroad has been convicted under Hong Kong’s national security laws. It marks a disturbing escalation in the Hong Kong government’s repressive use of ‘Article 23’.
“The absurd bounty placed on Anna Kwok’s head due to her activism is already a brazen attack on her freedom of expression. Now, as Hong Kong authorities stoop to a new low, her father faces jail solely for an alleged attempt to access insurance funds belonging to his daughter.
“This apparently politically motivated conviction of an activist’s close relative also sets a dangerous precedent, designed to terrify and silence others who continue to speak out about Hong Kong issues from overseas.
“Hong Kong authorities must immediately release the father of Anna Kwok, as well as all others accused of assisting activists in exile, unless they can show they have committed an internationally recognized crime.”