According to Yahoo News, prominent Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow, accused of violating a national security law, has left for Canada and may seek asylum there. Chow, a former leader of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, is currently on bail and announced on social media that she left for Toronto to study and does not plan to return to Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government stated it would "spare no effort to pursue and arrest her in accordance with the law, and severely reprimand such shameful behaviors of fleeing and escaping punishment." Chow, 27, was arrested in 2020 for allegedly colluding with foreign forces after Beijing imposed a broad national security law on the city. She was released on bail, and in September, police returned her passport with the condition that she report to the Hong Kong authorities this month.
Chow said in an Instagram post, "After careful consideration, taking into account the situation in Hong Kong, my own safety and my physical and mental health, I've decided not to report back. I probably will never go back." In an interview with TV Tokyo, Chow mentioned she hadn't yet thought about seeking asylum in Canada or elsewhere. The Hong Kong government accused Chow of showing a "flagrant disregard" for her bail terms and stated that "fugitives will be pursued for life unless they turn themselves in."
