Hong Kong’s arrest of Apple Daily editors sparks fresh concern about media freedom

Hong Kong media tycoon and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is escorted by the police on August 11 2020 in Hong Kong. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/ANTHONY KWANHong Kong arrested the three most senior editors at Jimmy Lai’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper along with two top executives for suspected breaches of its sweeping national security law, generating fresh concerns about diminishing media freedom in the former British colony.

Lai, who founded Next Digital, has been the most high-profile target of the government’s push against democracy advocates in Hong Kong. He is serving more than year in prison for attending unauthorised protests and faces additional charges under the security law that China imposed on the city in 2020. On Thursday morning, trading of Next Digital shares was halted, without any reason being given.

The move is the latest effort by Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to quell any form of dissent in the city, which was rocked by sometimes violent anti-China protests in 2019.

Lai has also been charged with the national security offence of colluding with foreign forces to hurt China based on tweets and interviews he gave to international media outlets. The city’s security bureau has moved to freeze some of Lai’s assets and sent letters to some of his bankers, threatening them with years in jail if they deal with any of his accounts in Hong Kong.“The government is not content to let the court process play out, so they’re using the police,” Simon said.

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Piet would have been long arrested in Hong Kong based on his latest hogwash

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