Hong Kong Activist's Family Faces Security Law's Grasp

Hong Kong national security police have arrested the relatives of activist Anna Kwok over financial dealings, marking the first use of the security law against an absconder's family. Kwok, wanted for colluding with foreign forces, leaves her family embroiled in high-profile legal tumult, spotlighting the controversial law's impact.

In an unprecedented move, Hong Kong national security police have detained the father and brother of activist Anna Kwok over financial dealings related to her, according to local media on Friday. This marks the first instance of applying the city's national security law to relatives of such fugitives.

As the executive director at the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, Kwok ranks among 19 foreign activists sought by the city's security apparatus for alleged collusion with foreign forces. A staggering bounty of HK$1 million ($127,656) has been issued for her arrest, spotlighting critiques by rights groups against the law's erosion of freedoms.

Hong Kong's authorities defend the law as essential for economic stability. However, critics, including the United States, fiercely contest the city's ongoing campaign against families of overseas pro-democracy figures. Anna Kwok’s case, involving her father's arraignment and threat of severe legal penalties, underscores the law's divisive nature.

(With inputs from agencies.)