• Kwok Yin-sang sentenced to eight months for attempting to withdraw his daughter's insurance funds.
• He is the first person convicted under national security law for handling assets belonging to a fugitive.
• Anna Kwok, his daughter, is a pro-democracy activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities.

A Hong Kong court sentenced 69-year-old Kwok Yin-sang to eight months in prison for attempting to withdraw funds from his daughter Anna Kwok's insurance policy. This marks the first conviction under national security law involving a family member of an absconder, as Kwok was found guilty of dealing with the financial assets of a wanted pro-democracy activist, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The court heard Kwok's attempts to cash out the policy amounting to over HK$88,000 (US$11,251) were motivated by familial ties, yet the magistrate asserted that "collective punishment" for being related to a fugitive is not legally recognized. Magistrate Andy Cheng emphasized that actions taken were to prevent absconders from evading justice rather than retaliating against family members, according to BBC and South China Morning Post.

Anna Kwok, who remains in the United States and serves as the executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, is one of 34 activists pursued by Hong Kong authorities on allegations of colluding with foreign forces. Prior to her father's sentencing, she conveyed that the actions against her family underscore a deteriorating state of political freedoms in Hong Kong, asserting, "this is the first case, but it is not going to be the last case," according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The court highlighted that Kwok Yin-sang had attempted to withdraw his daughter's insurance funds after meeting her in Japan to discuss the policy change. Despite his claims that he believed he retained ownership of the policy, the magistrate ruled that the policy belonged to his daughter upon her reaching adulthood, leading to his conviction, according to BBC and South China Morning Post.