Since the forced closure of Hong Kong’s largest Chinese-language independent newspaper Apple Daily three years ago, seven of its staff members, including the founder Jimmy Lai, are still detained and awaiting verdicts on spurious national security charges. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls again for their immediate release, and for the end of their prolonged detention without a fair trial.
Three years ago, on 24 June 2021, Apple Daily - Hong Kong’s largest Chinese-language independent newspaper - was forced to shut down after nearly 500 police officers raided its premises and the government froze its parent company’s assets. At the end of that day, the final edition of the newspaper reached a record circulation of one million copies – 10 times what would normally sell in a day. To date, seven of the media’s staff members, including its founder Jimmy Lai, are still detained and facing life imprisonment under the National Security Law. To justify the prosecution, the government compiled more than 150 articles, op-eds, and videos published by Apple Daily and allegedly “criminal” under this draconian law. READ MORE from Reporters Without Borders
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