HONG KONG – The Hong Kong police arrested five executives of the Apple Daily newspaper on Thursday morning on suspicion of violating the National Security Law.
In a press briefing, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said anyone who endangers national security in the name of news activities will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said normal journalistic works will continue to take place freely in the SAR as long as they are conducted lawfully
Thursday’s arrests have nothing to do with normal media activities, he said, adding that police only target those who take advantage of the media activities to endanger national security.
The suspects were arrested based on strong evidence that showed they had been conspiring to invite foreign sanctions and hostile activities against Hong Kong and the nation through their publications, said the security chief.
He said normal journalistic works will continue to take place freely in the SAR as long as they are conducted lawfully.
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National security is of paramount importance and relevant crimes are serious and are punishable by life imprisonment, said Lee.
Apple Daily said editor-in-chief Ryan Law, chief executive officer of Apple Daily's parent company Next Digital Cheung Kim-hung, chief operating officer of Next Digiatl Chow Tat-kuen, the paper's deputy chief editor Chan Pui-man and chief executive editor Cheung Chi-wai had all been arrested. Searches were also conducted in their respective residences.
Steve Li Kwai-wah, senior superintendent of the National Security department of the police, said that those arrested played an important role in the operation of the company and are fully responsible for publishing the newspaper.
Li pointed out that since 2019, Apple Daily has published dozens of reports in Chinese and English, both online and offline, calling for foreign sanctions on the government of Hong Kong SAR and the nation.
"The nature of the articles is very simple: inciting, requesting foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China. Very straightforward," Li told reporters outside the paper's headquarters.
Li said that the search warrant issued under Article 43(1) of the National Security Law for Hong Kong enables the police to search and seize journalistic materials, including those on digital devices.
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Searches are still ongoing, with the possibility that more people will be arrested, Li added.
The raid by 500 officers was the latest blow to media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the tabloid's owner, who is serving prison sentences for taking part in illegal assemblies.
Trading in the company’s stock on the Hong Kong bourse was suspended on Thursday. The Secretary Bureau has frozen the assets of three Apple Daily-related companies in accordance with the law, namely Apple Daily Ltd, Apple Daily Printing Ltd, and AD Internet Ltd, worth a total of HK$18 million (US$2.3 million).
With inputs from Agencies