Event Summary
On 9 October 2025, Hong Kong police summoned the 72-year-old brother of wanted activist Paul Ha Hoi-chun to Tseung Kwan O Police Station for questioning. Paul Ha, 60, is among 15 activists with HK$200,000 bounties issued in July 2025 for participating in the “Hong Kong Parliament” elections and swearing-in ceremony. Ha emigrated to Taiwan in the 1990s and briefly returned to Hong Kong in 2011 to participate in protests against the government budget, blocking traffic on Hong Kong Island and clashing with police. He was accused by national security police of taking part in the election and virtual swearing-in alongside nine other activists including Chin Po-fun, Hau Chung-yu, and Alan Keung Ka-wai. This marks the sixth reported occasion where authorities have summoned immediate family members of the 15 wanted activists following the July 2025 bounty announcements. The pattern demonstrates continued systematic questioning of relatives of overseas activists, extending pressure to family members remaining in Hong Kong. As highlighted by UN Special Rapporteurs in their joint allegation letter to the Chinese government, this practice obstructs and inhibits contact between family members, as relatives overseas face threats and reprisals when attempting to communicate with their loved ones in Hong Kong, creating an environment where maintaining normal family communication becomes dangerous and effectively preventing relatives overseas from exercising their right to communicate with family members without fear.