Father of wanted Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok denied bail on nat. sec grounds
Kwok Yin-sang, 68, was brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Thursday morning to review his bail status before Chief Magistrate Victor So.
He was remanded in custody on Friday after he was charged with one count of 'attempting to deal with, directly or indirectly, any funds or other financial assets or economic resources belonging to, or owned or controlled by, a relevant absconder.'
💡 Under court reporting restrictions on bail proceedings, written and broadcast reports are limited to only include the result of a bail application, the name of the person applying for bail and their representation, and the offence concerned.
So said on Thursday that after hearing arguments from the prosecution and the defence and reviewing all documents, there were insufficient grounds to believe that Kwok Yin-sang would not continue to engage in activities endangering national security if he was granted bail.
So ordered Kwok Yin-sang to remain in custody pending his next court appearance on June 13. He may apply for bail at the High Court.
First family member charged
Kwok Yin-sang is the first family member of a wanted activist to be charged under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, more commonly known as Article 23.
It is also the first prosecution for the offence, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
He is accused of attempting to obtain funds earlier this year from an AIA International Ltd life and personal accident insurance policy, with Anna Kwok, based in the US, listed as the insured person.
The Hong Kong government barred anyone from dealing with Anna Kwok's assets in the city after Secretary for Security Chris Tang declared her an 'absconder,' along with six other exiled activists, in December.
The 28-year-old is among the first group of eight overseas Hong Kong activists wanted by the city's national security police. She is said to have colluded with foreign forces and requested the imposition of sanctions on Hong Kong and China.
So far, 19 Hong Kong activists abroad are wanted by the national security police. Authorities are offering a bounty of HK$1 million for each of the democracy campaigners.
Separate to the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city's opposition-free legislature.
The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.
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