Latest news with #HongKongDemocracyCouncil
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Hong Kong Police Arrest 2 Family Members of Wanted Democracy Activist Kwok Fung-Yee
Hong Kong authorities have arrested the father and a brother of U.S.-based pro-democracy activist Kwok Fung-yee, and laid charges against the father, marking the first time that the family of an exiled dissident has been criminally charged under the city's sweeping national security laws. Kwok Fung-yee (Anna Kwok), 28, resides in the United States and serves as the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC). In July 2023, she was placed on a The two family members were arrested on April 30 in Tseung Kwan O for the alleged violations of the National Security Ordinance and the Criminal Offences Ordinance. On May 2, the 68-year-old Kwok Yin-sang, Kwok Fung-yee's father, appeared in West Kowloon Magistrates' Court and was charged with 'attempting to directly or indirectly manage funds or assets belonging to an absconder.' His case was adjourned to June 13, and he remains in custody. Multiple Hong Kong media outlets Related Stories 4/21/2025 4/14/2025 Under the National Security Ordinance, handling an absconder's funds or assets carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment upon conviction. The defense counsel argued that the key legal question hinges on whether the assets in question truly belonged to the daughter or to father Kwok himself. Kwok Fung-yee's 35-year-old brother was granted bail pending further investigation on the same charge. He has not been formally charged. The arrests signal an escalation in efforts to target overseas critics by extending pressure to their relatives at home, being the first time the family member of a wanted individual has faced formal charges in Hong Kong. Hong Kong authorities have increasingly summoned relatives and associates of wanted individuals for questioning, signaling heightened enforcement actions on overseas activists. In January 2025, national security police raided the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, previously affiliated with wanted scholar Chung Kim-wah. The institute's chairman, Chung Ting-yiu, and two staff members were detained for investigation. In February, the aunt and uncle of former district councilor Carmen Lau Ka-man were brought to a police station for questioning. In March, the stepfather of Tony Chung, an activist exiled in the UK, was also taken for investigation. Since the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020, Hong Kong's Ministry of National Security has issued wanted notices for at least 19 exiled residents.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rights groups condemn arrest of Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok's father and brother
Human rights groups have condemned the arrest of relatives of Anna Kwok, an exiled pro-democracy activist who is wanted by the Hong Kong police, in the first example of the city's national security law being used to target the family members of an activist living overseas. Kwok, 28, is the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, and is one of 19 overseas activists wanted by the national security police, who are offering bounties of HK$1m (£97,000) for information leading to arrest. Kwok's father, 68, and her brother, 35, were arrested on 30 April on suspicion 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'. The police said the men were suspected of helping Kwok to change the details of a life insurance policy and withdraw its remaining value. Kwok's father was charged and detained while her brother was released on bail pending further investigations. Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: 'The Chinese government has increased its appalling use of collective punishment against family members of peaceful activists from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Anna Kwok's father and cease harassing families of Hong Kong activists.' ChinaAid, a US-based human rights group, said: 'This represents a deeply unsettling and significant escalation of the ongoing retaliatory actions against the families of exiled activists … this is a blatant attempt to silence overseas dissidents by targeting their family members at home, a tactic that brazenly disregards fundamental human rights and the rule of law.' Police in Hong Kong have repeatedly questioned the relatives of exiled activists. In recent months relatives of Tony Chung, Frances Hui and Carmen Lau, overseas pro-democracy activists who are also wanted by the Hong Kong police, have been questioned. Chung and Lau, who are in the UK, have both had threatening letters sent to their neighbours offering rewards for information leading to their capture. The arrests in Kwok's case mark the first time that relatives have been criminally charged. Kwok's father faces a sentence of up to seven years in prison if convicted. He has been denied bail with the case adjourned to 13 June, according to Reuters. The Hong Kong police and the Hong Kong Democracy Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kwok could not be reached for comment.
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Rights groups condemn arrest of Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok's father and brother
Human rights groups have condemned the arrest of relatives of Anna Kwok, an exiled pro-democracy activist who is wanted by the Hong Kong police, in the first example of the city's national security law being used to target the family members of an activist living overseas. Kwok, 28, is the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, and is one of 19 overseas activists wanted by the national security police, who are offering bounties of HK$1m (£97,000) for information leading to arrest. Kwok's father, 68, and her brother, 35, were arrested on 30 April on suspicion 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'. The police said the men were suspected of helping Kwok to change the details of a life insurance policy and withdraw its remaining value. Kwok's father was charged and detained while her brother was released on bail pending further investigations. Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: 'The Chinese government has increased its appalling use of collective punishment against family members of peaceful activists from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Anna Kwok's father and cease harassing families of Hong Kong activists.' ChinaAid, a US-based human rights group, said: 'This represents a deeply unsettling and significant escalation of the ongoing retaliatory actions against the families of exiled activists … this is a blatant attempt to silence overseas dissidents by targeting their family members at home, a tactic that brazenly disregards fundamental human rights and the rule of law.' Police in Hong Kong have repeatedly questioned the relatives of exiled activists. In recent months relatives of Tony Chung, Frances Hui and Carmen Lau, overseas pro-democracy activists who are also wanted by the Hong Kong police, have been questioned. Chung and Lau, who are in the UK, have both had threatening letters sent to their neighbours offering rewards for information leading to their capture. The arrests in Kwok's case mark the first time that relatives have been criminally charged. Kwok's father faces a sentence of up to seven years in prison if convicted. He has been denied bail with the case adjourned to 13 June, according to Reuters. The Hong Kong police and the Hong Kong Democracy Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kwok could not be reached for comment.
The Independent
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Father of US-based pro-democracy activist reportedly arrested by Hong Kong police
Hong Kong police reportedly arrested the father and brother of pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok for allegedly attempting to handle her finances. This is the first time the city 's national security law has been used to prosecute a family member of an 'absconder', reports said. The offence is punishable by up to seven years in prison. Ms Kwok, the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, is one of 19 a ctivists wanted by Hong Kong's national security police. She is on self-imposed exile in the US after she was accused of national security offences including foreign collusion and incitement to secession, and a bounty of HK$1m (£97,241) offered on her arrest. According to Reuters, police said in a press release on Friday that two men aged 35 and 68 were arrested on 30 April on suspicion of handling 'funds or other financial assets' that belonged to Ms Kwok. Local media then identified the men as Ms Kwok's brother and father, citing unnamed sources. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Merchant Kwok Yin-sang, 68, appeared before West Kowloon Court on Friday after being charged by Hong Kong's national security police with attempting to handle assets belonging to Ms Kwok. Her brother was released on bail pending further investigation. Court documents seen by the SCMP reveal that the case involves the alleged withdrawal of around HK$110,000 (£10,700) cash from a life and personal accident insurance policy with AIA International registered under Ms Kwok's name. The case has been adjourned to 13 June. In August 2023, Ms Kwok's parents were brought in for questioning by national security police, a month after an arrest warrant was issued for their daughter, reported the Hong Kong Free Press. At the time, authorities said they were suspected of 'assisting persons wanted by police to continue to commit acts and engage in activities that endanger national security'. After this, she posted an apology to her family on X, formerly Twitter, writing in Chinese: 'Until yesterday, my parents were questioned, harassed, and intimidated. While I feel a sense of guilt, I must also say that this was a price I had anticipated. Here, I must apologise to my family .' China imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Critics have accused the government of throttling dissent with the help of the law, which makes it easier to arrest and detain protesters.
Daily Maverick
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Hong Kong police arrest father and brother of wanted activist Anna Kwok
Hong Kong national security police have arrested the father and brother of wanted activist Anna Kwok for allegedly dealing with her finances, local media reported on Friday, in the first use of the city's security law to deal with an absconder's relatives. Kwok is the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council and one of 19 overseas activists wanted by the city's national security police. She is accused of colluding with foreign forces and police have offered a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,656) for her arrest. Hong Kong's national security law has been criticised by rights groups and several democratic nations for eroding freedoms and quashing dissent in the financial hub. The United States has also strongly condemned the city's ongoing harassment of the family members of pro-democracy activists living overseas. Police said in a press release on Friday that they had arrested two men aged 35 and 68 on April 30 on suspicion of handling 'funds or other financial assets' belonging to Kwok. Local media cited unnamed sources saying the two men were Kwok's father and brother. According to a charge sheet seen by Reuters, 68-year-old Kwok Yin-sang, identified as Anna Kwok's father by Hong Kong media, was charged under the security law on Friday morning for attempting to deal with the finances. The document said he had been trying to deal with Kwok's life and personal accident insurance policy which could be used to obtain funds. Local media reported that he was denied bail by designated national security judge Victor So at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, while the younger man has been released on bail pending further investigation. The case was adjourned to June 13. A lawyer for Kwok's relatives could not be reached for comment. Police warned the public that handling an absconder's funds was a serious offence punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities say the security law has restored the stability necessary for preserving Hong Kong's economic success. ($1 = 7.7550 Hong Kong dollars)
