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#PoliticalProsecution #PoliceState
HK Police Raids #AppleDaily Again: 3 Editors and 2 Executives Arrested for Breaching National Security Law

Apple Daily, the only pro-democracy newspaper in print in Hong Kong, has been the target of the national security police since the forced implementation of the national security law in the city in June 2020.

Even though founder #JimmyLai had already been arrested and remains in custody, the Hong Kong police continues to raid the headquarters of the newspaper and its parent company; seizing documents, computers and journalistic materials; and making arrests.

In the raid on June 17, 2021, the police deployed 500 officers and arrested five executives including editor-in-chief #RyanLaw.

The other four are deputy editor #ChanPuiMan, chief executive editor #CheungChiWai, chief executive #NextDigital #CheungKimHung, and the chief operating officer #ChowTatKuen.

Authorities claimed that the newspaper published articles allegedly calling for "foreign sanctions" and had been "colluding with foreign forces", thus has violated the national security law.  

Some of the articles cited date back to 2019, before the law's implementation.  The government had previously promised that the new law would not be applied to offences before the law had come into effect.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Security #JohnLee ordered freezing HK$18 million worth of assets from Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited, all under Jimmy Lai's Next Digital Limited.  Li openly asked the public and the media to cut ties with the executives of Apple Daily.    

When asked, Li admitted the government's intention to prevent the pro-democracy newspaper from being printed before July 1, 2021, the anniversary of the Hong Kong SAR's establishment, when large-scale protest takes place every year.

Photo: #FirstHand
Text: RTHK; Stand News; Apple Daily #Jun17

https://bit.ly/2Uh0iZn
https://bit.ly/35sgKIe
https://bit.ly/3zxfpOa

#Censorship #WhiteTerror #Intimidation #Smearing #Regime
#PoliticalProsecution #PoliticalPrisoner #WhiteTerror
HK Police Charges #AppleDaily Editor-in-chief and #NextDigital CEO with #NationalSecurityLaw

At 10pm on June 18, 2021, deputy editor of Apple Daily, #ChanPuiMan, left the Tseung Kwan O police station on bail after being detained for over 40 hours.

Photos:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30148

She told the media that she was proud of her colleagues at Apple Daily who carried on their duty and responsibility, undeterred.

"I am proud of their professionalism," Chan said outside of the police station.

On June 17, 2021, 3 editors and 2 executives of Apple Daily were arrested by the Hong Kong police for #NationalSecurityLaw violation.

Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30130

While chief executive editor #CheungChiWai and the chief operating officer #ChowTatKuen were also released on bail; the police pressed charges on the newspaper's editor-in-chief #RyanLaw and the chief executive of #NextDigital #CheungKimHung.The two will be mentioned in court the next day on June 19, 2021.

Before leaving, deputy editor Chan Pui-man said she will support her colleagues in court. Chan then left with her husband #ChungPuiKuen, the editor-in-chief of #StandNews.

Source: Stand News; Apple Daily #Jun18

https://bit.ly/3vDEN1R

#Censorship #PressFreedom #Professionalism #PoliceState

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Related stories:

We Will Press On": Apple Daily Prints 500,000 Copies Despite Police Raid

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30142

Hongkongers Rush to Support Apple Daily After Midnight

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30140
#WhiteTerror #PoliticalProsecution
Arrests, National Security Charges and Frozen Assets: Pro-Democracy #AppleDaily Might Shut Down in 5 Days

At around 15:45 on June 21, 2021 in Hong Kong, the executive board of Apple Daily came to a decision: The city's only Chinese-language pro-democracy newspaper will be shut down. The exact closing date will be announced on Friday, 25 June, 2021, which would possibly be the last operating day of the 26-year-old top selling newspaper. In other words, Saturday, 26 June could be the last time for the newspaper to appear.

The Hong Kong police raided the newspaper office with over 500 officers on June 17, 2021 and arrested 3 editors and 2 executives for "colluding with foreign powers" under #NationalSecurityLaw. Among them, editor-in-chief #RyanLaw and #NextDigital CEO #CheungKimHung were charged with breaching the national security law.

Apple Daily founder #JimmyLai has been arrested and detained since January 2021.

The Hong Kong government has been freezing the assets of Apple Daily and its connecting companies, to block the newspaper's from operating and paying salary. #MarkSimon, an adviser to Jimmy Lai, told Reuters that "vendors tried to put money into our accounts and were rejected".

According to sources, following the decision of the board on June 21, the management of Apple Daily notified all its staff of the possibility of resignation with immediate effect. The newspaper hopes to issue adequate compensation salary to its employees, but it depends whether the government will allow the company to do so. The board has issued a letter to the Security Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government regarding the matter, demanding a reply on Friday, June 25.

The management said they understand the potential risks under the current circumstances and will let their staff to make their own decision. The management thanks their staff for their contribution and professionalism in the newspaper's continuous fight for press freedom.

Source: Apple Daily; Now News; Stand News #Jun21

https://bit.ly/3xAHW3J

https://bit.ly/3qdAf0U

#PoliceState #NationalSecurityLaw #PressFreedom #HongKongMedia #Journalism #PoliticalSuppression #FrozenAsset #FreeJimmy #SaveAppleDaily #SupportAppleDaily

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Timeline:

[June 17, 2021] HK Police Raids Apple Daily Again and Arrests 3 Editors and 2 Executives

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30130

"We Will Press On": Apple Daily Prints 500,000 Copies Despite Police Raid

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30142

Hongkongers Rush to Support Apple Daily After Midnight

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30140

[June 18, 2021] HK Police Charges Apple Daily Editor-in-chief and #NextDigital CEO with #NationalSecurityLaw

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30149

[June 21, 2021]
HK’s Pro-democracy Newspaper #AppleDaily to shut within days according to #JimmyLai adviser

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30169
#FirstHand #Jun22
Voices are Disappearing in Face of "Stability and Prosperity"

On a street in Hong Kong after midnight on June 22, 2021, a piece of paper lies on the ground and reads "In Face of 'Stability and Prosperity', Voices are Disappearing".

One day ago on June 21, 2021, Hongkongers learnt of the impending closure of the city's pro-democracy newspaper #AppleDaily, after the authorities has detained and charged its editor-in-chief #RyanLaw and #NextDigital CEO #CheungKimHung under the #NationalSecurityLaw, in addition to freezing the assets of Apple Daily and three connecting companies.

The words on this paper speak the mind of many Hongkongers: Authorities allow only one voice and call this "stability and prosperity".

#BeWater #NeverGiveUp #NeverForgive #SaveAppleDaily #SupportAppleDaily

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Related News:

[21 June, 2021]
Arrests, National Security Charges and Frozen Assets: Apple Daily Might Shut Down in 5 Days

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30172
#PoliceState #SaveAppleDaily
National Security Police Arrests News Commentator; Pro-democracy #AppleDaily Will Shut Down In One Day

[Update: At around 16:10 on June 23, 2021, Next Digital released a new statement, annnouncing the closure of Apple Daily on June 24, 2021, due to the safety concern of its staff. The last edition will be released and the homepage will cease operating at 23:59 on the same day.]

At around 15:20 on June 23, 2021, #NextDigital, the parent company of #AppleDaily announced that the last edition of the pro-democracy newspaper will be released on Saturday, June 26 the latest, under the current circumstances in Hong Kong.

The homepage of the newspaper will be closed at 23:59 on the same day.

The company thanks the readers for their genuine support and the commitment of the newspapers' journalists, staff and advertisers.

However, according to several sources including iCable News, Now News and Stand News, the newspaper might shut down the earliest on Thursday, June 24, 2021--which is in one day.

On June 17, 2021, the police raided the newspaper, took away at least 38 computers and a large amount of journalistic material and arrested 3 editors and 2 executives on the charge of NationalSecutityLaw. Among them, editor-in-chief #RyanLaw and Next Digital CEO #CheungKimHung have been detained since then.

The founder of the newspaper #JimmyLai has also been jailed.

The authorites froze the assets of the 26-year-old newspaper and three connecting companies, obstructing its operation. The Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong SAR Government, #JohnLee, openly asked people and companies to "cut ties" with the pro-democracy newspaper.

On June 23, the police arrested a 55-year-old man, accusing him of "colluding with foreign powers" and "violating the National Security Law". The man, with the pen name "#LeePing", is a news commentator for Apple Daily's China news.

The police said more arrests might take place.

Source: Apple Daily; Stand News; InMedia #Jun23

#PressFreedom #PoliticalProsecution

https://bit.ly/3gPdn4U
https://bit.ly/3zLZR9w
https://bit.ly/2UyLHIV

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Related News:

Arrests, National Security Charges and Frozen Assets: Pro-Democracy Apple Daily Might Shut Down in 5 Days

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30172

#NextMegazine chief: “We’ve tried and enjoyed media freedom in the past. We have no regrets.”

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30201

News Anchor Wishes Hongkongers Safe
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30177

Former Staff Bids Farewell to the Newspaper
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30179

Apple Daily Stops its English and Finance News

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30188
#SupportAppleDaily
Authorities' Suppression of #AppleDaily Fuels #PublicAnger Online, #Analysis Shows

According to ASI #BigData Analysis by Hong Kong Citizens News, in the week following the police raid of Apple Daily, there were over 56,000 posts relating to the now-shut-down pro-democracy newspaper on Facebook.

Statements containing foul language peaked on Thursday, June 17, 2021, constituting 75% of the posts. It indicates that the public were very concerned about Apple Daily, and showed huge discontent towards the government's treatment of the pro-democracy newspaper.

June 17, 2021 was the day the Hong Kong police raided the Apple Daily office and arrested 3 editors and 2 executives, accusing them of #NationalSecurity breaches.

On forums used mainly by young non-pro-Establishment Hongkongers, around 36,000 posts have been made in the past 7 days. The use of foul language peaked on the afternoon of Friday, June 18, 2021, constituting 30% of the comments.

June 18 marks the day when the Hong Kong police presses charges at the newspaper's editor-in-chief #RyanLaw and #NextDigital CEO #CheungKimHung with the #NationalSecurityLaw.

Source: Hong Kong Citizens News #Jun21
https://bit.ly/3gNbUuI

https://www.facebook.com/hkcnews/posts/1476391809370890
Japanese Media Headlines: "Waiting for my friends and Apple Daily to return"

[Editor's note: Kinya Fujimoto, deputy editor of the Sankei Shimbun, is the co-winner of the 2020 Vaughn-Uyeda Memorial Prize in Journalism]

Japanese newspaper #SankeiShimbun covered the shutdown of Hongkong's pro-democracy newspaper #AppleDaily extensively.

On the front page of the newspaper on June 24, 2021, the headlining news article was about Apple Daily and was accompanied by a column titled "Waiting for my friends and Apple Daily to return" in Chinese, penned by #KinyaFujimoto, an award-winning journalist.

The article states that Apple Daily was the only newspaper in Hong Kong that criticized the #CCP. The authorities' suppression of the newspaper leads to its suspension and indicates the loss of press freedom in Hong Kong.

The article also tells the story of #JimmyLai, the founder of #NextMedia. Lai escaped from China to Hong Kong and establish the pro-democracy Apple Daily in 1995.

Journalist Kinya Fujimoto recounted how he met with editor-in-chief #RyanLaw for the first time in June 2021. At the time, Law mentioned the difficulties to obtain a journalist visa in China and the CCP's ban from interviewing senior officials in the Chinese government. Fujimoto replied that Sankei experienced the same, then the two smiled bitterly.

Next to the Fujimoto's article, the main news article was published entitled under the headline "Hong Kong's Apple Daily Discontinues".

Kinya Fujimoto pointed out that the newspaper did not describe Apple Daily as an "obsolete", but a "discontinued publication". He believes, "after going through the dark age, the newspaper Apple Daily would be the one announcing Hong Kong's retribution."

Fujimoto wrote, "Apple fell, but I believe that is not the 'final chapter'".

Source: Stand News #Jun24
https://bit.ly/3xfKLHT

#Japan #PressFreedom