Hong Kong: Agnes Chow, protesting figure, evades arrest by jumping bail

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow has announced her decision to jump police bail after being granted permission to travel to Canada for further studies. Chow, who was imprisoned in 2020 for participating in the 2019 anti-government protests, was released in 2021. However, she is still under investigation for alleged collusion with foreign forces endangering national security. On her 27th birthday, in a social media post, she revealed that she had been accepted by a university in Toronto. In order to retrieve her passport, she was obliged to accompany five police officers on a trip to mainland China, where she felt constantly monitored. During the trip, she was shown exhibitions highlighting China's achievements and asked to pose for photos. Upon her return to Hong Kong, she was instructed to sign letters expressing remorse for her past political actions and to thank the police for organizing the trip. Chow's decision not to return to Hong Kong was motivated by concerns about the city's situation, her personal safety, and her physical and mental health. The Hong Kong police have not commented on her claims. Agnes Chow, often referred to as "the real Mulan," was a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and was included on the BBC 100 Women list in 2020. The authorities in Hong Kong have cracked down on pro-democracy activists since the 2019 protests, leading to the enactment of the national security law in 2020.