The Hong Kong Police Force has confirmed that the opposition activist, Agnes Chow Ting, is now listed as wanted. The announcement was made during the year-end press conference on Tuesday. Chow has recently finished serving a 10-month prison sentence for her convictions related to her involvement in protests outside police headquarters in June 2019.
The activist was accused of “taking part in an unauthorized assembly without lawful authority or reasonable excuse” and of “incitement to take part in an unauthorized assembly.” Hong Kong’s National Security Department (NSD) allowed Chow to pursue studies in Canada following her release, but required her to return to Hong Kong in December 2023, as per the bail condition. Chow, however, decided to skip bail and disclosed her decision online. The NSD has issued a warrant for her arrest following this development.
In response to the situation, Deputy Commissioner of Police, National Security Kan Kai-yan, urged all exiled activists to turn themselves to law enforcement and be accountable for their actions. Aside from Chow, 13 other opposition activists have been listed as wanted by the NSD.
Revealed in December 2023, the NSD listed five oversea activists as wanted persons who were allegedly involved in activities that threaten national security. This year, police authorities have prioritized national security and have arrested 290 people under the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) as of December 2023.
Simultaneously, the country has started a public consultation period for a new local national security legislation. However, ex-president of the Hong Kong Legislative Council Jasper Tsang criticized the seditious crimes section in the proposed security legislation and described it as over-broadly written. The Secretary for Justice refuted the criticism, stating that the new offences would not excessively limit the freedom of speech.
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