Hong Kong man convicted under Article 23 for trying to access insurance funds for his daughter, a U.S.-based activist, in first such case.

Kwok Yin-sang, 69, became the first person convicted under Hong Kong’s Article 23 national security law for attempting to access funds from an insurance policy he had purchased for his daughter, Anna Kwok, a U.S.-based activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities. The court ruled he knowingly handled assets of a fugitive, despite his not guilty plea and claims the money was not for her. Sentencing is set for February 26, with a maximum two-year prison term under magistrates’ court limits. The case, part of a broader crackdown on overseas activists, has drawn international criticism over the law’s use to target family members and silence dissent.