Hong Kong's Apple Daily executives denied bail under security law
19 June, 2021
Two executives from Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper appeared in court on Saturday (Jun 19) on charges of collusion and were denied bail after authorities deployed a sweeping security law to focus on the newspaper, a scathing critic of Beijing.
Chief editor Ryan Law and CEO Cheung Kim-hung are accused of colluding with foreign forces to undermine China's national security over some articles that police said called for international sanctions.
Chief magistrate Victor So said there have been insufficient grounds "for the court to assume that the defendants won't continue steadily to commit acts endangering national security".
It is the first-time the political views and view published by a Hong Kong media outlet have triggered the security law, that was imposed last year by Beijing to stamp out dissent in the financial hub.
Apple Daily and its own jailed owner Jimmy Lai have always been thorns in Beijing's side, with unapologetic support for the city's pro-democracy movement and caustic criticism of China's leaders.
More than 500 cops raided the paper's newsroom on Thursday, carting away computers, hard disks and reporters' notepads.
Five executives were also arrested. Law and Cheung were charged on Friday while the three others were released on bail pending further investigations.
A large number of supporters queued to get seats in court on Saturday morning, including many former and current employees of Apple Daily.
PLUNGING PRESS FREEDOMS
Multiple international media companies have regional headquarters in Hong Kong, attracted to the business-friendly regulations and free speech provisions written in to the city's mini-constitution.
But most are now questioning if they have another there and are drawing up contingency plans as Beijing presses on with a wide crackdown on dissent in the city.
Local media have a straight tougher time, with journalist associations saying reporters are increasingly needing to self-censor.
Hong Kong has steadily plunged down an gross annual press freedom ranking by Reporters Without Borders, from 18th place in 2002 to 80th this season.
Mainland China languishes 177th out of 180, above only Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea.
Hong Kong and Chinese officials say the arrests were not an attack on the media.
Earlier this week, security secretary John Lee described Apple Daily as a "criminal syndicate".
Apple Daily is the most outspoken of Hong Kong's pro-democracy media outlets. Nonetheless it isn't clear how long it could survive.
Its wealthy owner Lai, 73, is currently serving multiple jail sentences for his involvement in democracy rallies in 2019.
He in addition has been charged under the national security law and has already established his Hong Kong assets frozen.
Authorities froze an additional HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) of Apple Daily's company assets on Thursday.
Police say in addition they intend to prosecute three companies owned by Apple Daily under the security law, that could start to see the paper fined or banned.
It is the first-time companies, rather than an individual, have faced a national security investigation.
Mark Simon, an aide to Lai who lives overseas, said the paper could have difficulty paying its staff around 700.
Company lawyers were trying to work out the breadth of the asset freeze order, he added.
"Money is not a concern. Draconian orders from Beijing via the NSL (national security law) will be the issue," he told AFP.
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