Hong Kong Court Jails Father of US Democracy Activist for Insurance Withdrawal

A 69-year-old Hong Kong man received an eight-month prison sentence for trying to access funds from his daughter's insurance policy. His daughter is a Washington-based democracy activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities with a bounty on her head.

A Hong Kong court has imprisoned the 69-year-old father of a Washington-based democracy advocate for eight months after he attempted to access money from his daughter’s insurance plan, marking the first prosecution of a family member under Hong Kong’s domestic national security legislation.

Kwok Yin-sang was convicted earlier this month under the 2024 security statute, known locally as Article 23 legislation, for trying to handle financial assets of an “absconder.” His daughter, Anna Kwok, serves as executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council and condemned her father’s conviction as “transnational repression.”

Hong Kong police have placed a bounty of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $127,900) on the younger Kwok’s capture and prohibited anyone from managing her financial assets. She is one of 34 individuals facing police rewards as part of what observers describe as a broader suppression of dissent following the large-scale anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

Officials claim she has called for foreign sanctions and blockades while conducting hostile activities against China and Hong Kong through meetings with international politicians and government representatives.

Following the ruling, Anna Kwok stated “my father was convicted simply for being my father,” describing his charges as based on “incoherent fiction.”

The elder Kwok had purchased the insurance plan for his daughter during her early childhood, with ownership transferring to her at age 18. This year, the father attempted to cancel the policy and retrieve approximately $11,000 in funds, according to court proceedings. He was taken into custody the same year on allegations of attempting to manage an “absconder’s” assets.

Acting principal magistrate Cheng Lim-chi delivered Thursday’s sentence. Kwok’s defense attorney had requested a 14-day jail term, contending that no proof existed showing his client planned to transfer the funds to his daughter.

While Kwok’s offense could have resulted in up to seven years imprisonment, his case was processed through magistrates’ courts, which typically impose sentences not exceeding two years.

Law enforcement has similarly issued rewards for other Hong Kong activists living abroad, including former pro-democracy legislators Nathan Law and Ted Hui. Both U.S. and U.K. governments have criticized these bounty programs.

In 2025, Washington imposed sanctions on six Chinese and Hong Kong officials it accused of participating in “transnational repression” and actions threatening the city’s autonomy. Beijing responded weeks later by announcing sanctions against U.S. officials, legislators, and NGO leaders it claimed have “performed poorly” regarding Hong Kong matters.

Both Hong Kong and Chinese authorities maintain that the 2024 legislation and a Beijing-implemented national security law from 2020 were essential for maintaining the city’s stability.