#Regime #Court #PoliticalSuppression
HK Authorities Freeze #JimmyLai's assets under #NationalSecurityLaw
On the evening of May 14, 2021, the Hong Kong government has frozen Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai's personal assets under the national security law. This is the first time the authorities exercise this power, since the national security law was directly imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong without passing through the city's legislature in June 2020.
Lai is currently serving a 14-month sentence after being convicted of taking part in "unauthorised assemblies" during the pro-democracy movement in August 2019.
In a press release, the Security Bureau said Lai's shares of Next Digital Limited (282) and assets of three companies in local banks were all frozen. The value of the property frozen was not disclosed.
Apple Daily said Lai holds a 71 percent stake in #NextDigital, but the incident does not involve the account of Next Digital and the finances of #AppleDaily.
Whereas Article 6 of Hong Kong Basic Law indicates that the Hong Kong SAR government "protect the right of private ownership of property in accordance with law", the Security Bureau cited Article 43 of the national security law, claiming that “relevant persons and organisations must not, directly or indirectly, deal with certain property which is reasonably suspected to be related to offences endangering national security”.
Moreover, the Secretary for Security has the power to order police officers to seize property if he suspects it may be removed from Hong Kong.
Source: InMedia #May14
https://bit.ly/3uOXvnh
#PoliticalPrisoner #FrozenAsset #Confiscation #Economy #FailedState
HK Authorities Freeze #JimmyLai's assets under #NationalSecurityLaw
On the evening of May 14, 2021, the Hong Kong government has frozen Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai's personal assets under the national security law. This is the first time the authorities exercise this power, since the national security law was directly imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong without passing through the city's legislature in June 2020.
Lai is currently serving a 14-month sentence after being convicted of taking part in "unauthorised assemblies" during the pro-democracy movement in August 2019.
In a press release, the Security Bureau said Lai's shares of Next Digital Limited (282) and assets of three companies in local banks were all frozen. The value of the property frozen was not disclosed.
Apple Daily said Lai holds a 71 percent stake in #NextDigital, but the incident does not involve the account of Next Digital and the finances of #AppleDaily.
Whereas Article 6 of Hong Kong Basic Law indicates that the Hong Kong SAR government "protect the right of private ownership of property in accordance with law", the Security Bureau cited Article 43 of the national security law, claiming that “relevant persons and organisations must not, directly or indirectly, deal with certain property which is reasonably suspected to be related to offences endangering national security”.
Moreover, the Secretary for Security has the power to order police officers to seize property if he suspects it may be removed from Hong Kong.
Source: InMedia #May14
https://bit.ly/3uOXvnh
#PoliticalPrisoner #FrozenAsset #Confiscation #Economy #FailedState
#WhiteTerror #FrozenAsset
#Reuters: HK’s Pro-democracy Newspaper #AppleDaily to shut within days according to #JimmyLai adviser
Source: Reuters #Jun21
Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30169
#Reuters: HK’s Pro-democracy Newspaper #AppleDaily to shut within days according to #JimmyLai adviser
Source: Reuters #Jun21
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30169
#WhiteTerror #FrozenAsset
#Reuters: HK’s Pro-democracy Newspaper #AppleDaily to shut within days according to #JimmyLai adviser
//Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut “in a matter of days” after authorities froze the company’s assets under a national security law, Mark Simon, an adviser to jailed owner Jimmy Lai told Reuters on June 21, 2021.
The closure of Apple Daily would undermine the former British colony's reputation as an open and free society and send a warning to other companies that could be accused of colluding with a foreign country, media advocacy groups said.
Next Digital (0282.HK), publisher of the top-selling 26-year-old newspaper, would hold a board meeting on Monday [June 21, 2021] to discuss how to move forward after its lines of credit were frozen, the adviser, Mark Simon, said.
"Vendors tried to put money into our accounts and were rejected," he said by phone from the United States.
"We thought we'd be able to make it to the end of the month. It's just getting harder and harder. It's essentially a matter of days."
Apple Daily said on Sunday the freezing of its assets had left the liberal newspaper with cash for “a few weeks” for normal operations.”
In May, Reuters reported exclusively that Hong Kong's security chief had sent letters to tycoon Lai and branches of HSBC and Citibank threatening up to seven years' jail for any dealings with the billionaire's accounts in the city...
Authorities are also prosecuting three companies related to Apple Daily for alleged collusion with a foreign country and have frozen HK$18 million ($2.3 million) of their assets...
Simon told Reuters it had now become impossible to conduct banking operations in the global financial hub.
"We can't bank. Some vendors tried to do that as a favour ... and it was rejected."
The newspaper has come under increasing pressure since owner and Beijing critic Lai, who is now in jail, was arrested under the national security law last August and has since had some of his assets frozen...
Simon said some reporters had received threatening phone calls from unknown sources.
"Our staff are now just worried about personal safety," he said...//
Read full article:
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/exclusive-adviser-jailed-hk-tycoon-jimmy-lai-says-apple-daily-shut-within-days-2021-06-21/
Source: Reuters #Jun21
#PoliceState #NationalSecurityLaw #PressFreedom #HongKongMedia #Journalism #PoliticalSuppression #MarkSimon #FreeJimmy
====
Related stories:
[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
[21 June, 2021]
Arrests, National Security Charges and Frozen Assets: Apple Daily Might Shut Down in 5 Days
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30172
#Reuters: HK’s Pro-democracy Newspaper #AppleDaily to shut within days according to #JimmyLai adviser
//Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut “in a matter of days” after authorities froze the company’s assets under a national security law, Mark Simon, an adviser to jailed owner Jimmy Lai told Reuters on June 21, 2021.
The closure of Apple Daily would undermine the former British colony's reputation as an open and free society and send a warning to other companies that could be accused of colluding with a foreign country, media advocacy groups said.
Next Digital (0282.HK), publisher of the top-selling 26-year-old newspaper, would hold a board meeting on Monday [June 21, 2021] to discuss how to move forward after its lines of credit were frozen, the adviser, Mark Simon, said.
"Vendors tried to put money into our accounts and were rejected," he said by phone from the United States.
"We thought we'd be able to make it to the end of the month. It's just getting harder and harder. It's essentially a matter of days."
Apple Daily said on Sunday the freezing of its assets had left the liberal newspaper with cash for “a few weeks” for normal operations.”
In May, Reuters reported exclusively that Hong Kong's security chief had sent letters to tycoon Lai and branches of HSBC and Citibank threatening up to seven years' jail for any dealings with the billionaire's accounts in the city...
Authorities are also prosecuting three companies related to Apple Daily for alleged collusion with a foreign country and have frozen HK$18 million ($2.3 million) of their assets...
Simon told Reuters it had now become impossible to conduct banking operations in the global financial hub.
"We can't bank. Some vendors tried to do that as a favour ... and it was rejected."
The newspaper has come under increasing pressure since owner and Beijing critic Lai, who is now in jail, was arrested under the national security law last August and has since had some of his assets frozen...
Simon said some reporters had received threatening phone calls from unknown sources.
"Our staff are now just worried about personal safety," he said...//
Read full article:
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/exclusive-adviser-jailed-hk-tycoon-jimmy-lai-says-apple-daily-shut-within-days-2021-06-21/
Source: Reuters #Jun21
#PoliceState #NationalSecurityLaw #PressFreedom #HongKongMedia #Journalism #PoliticalSuppression #MarkSimon #FreeJimmy
====
Related stories:
[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
[21 June, 2021]
Arrests, National Security Charges and Frozen Assets: Apple Daily Might Shut Down in 5 Days
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30172
Reuters
EXCLUSIVE HK’s Apple Daily to shut within days, says Jimmy Lai adviser
Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut "in a matter of days" after authorities froze the company's assets under a national security law, an adviser to jailed owner Jimmy Lai told Reuters on Monday.
#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
====
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
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
====
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
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