A Hong Kong court has sentenced the father of exiled activist Anna Kwok to eight months in jail. Kwok, now based in the United States and sought by Hong Kong authorities, stated the ruling only strengthens her resolve.
"The Hong Kong government wants to use guilt... but I've found my way to really find my calling in activism for Hong Kong," Kwok told the Associated Press. "I’m not going to back down. I’m just going to be more strategic."
Her father, Kwok Yin-sang, was jailed for attempting to withdraw approximately $11,000 from her insurance policy. This marks the first case under a 2024 national security law targeting a family member of a wanted pro-democracy advocate.
Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, described the sentence as "ridiculous" and acknowledged the personal cost of her activism, now extended to her family.
The U.S. government criticized the sentencing. Riley Barnes, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, called for Kwok Yin-sang's immediate release.
Anna Kwok is among 34 individuals targeted with bounties by Hong Kong police, a measure seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent following 2019 protests. She is accused of lobbying for foreign sanctions.
Unable to communicate with her family in Hong Kong, Kwok said her public statements aim to assure them of her well-being and reiterate that the regime, not her, is responsible for the situation.