Hong Kong: gagged by Beijing, the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will cease to appear on Thursday

Published on : 06/23/2021 – 11:19

The latest issue of the pro-democracy Apple Daily in Hong Kong will appear on Thursday (June 24), the newspaper confirmed on Wednesday, less than a week after its assets were frozen and five of its executives were arrested.

“Apple Daily has decided that the newspaper will cease operations from midnight and that June 24 will be its last day of publication,” the newspaper wrote on its website, specifying that the daily’s website will cease to be updated. day from midnight. ”A few minutes earlier, the board had said it would cease appearing no later than Saturday.

Beijing has never hidden its desire to silence this newspaper, which is very critical of Beijing and which has given unwavering support to the pro-democracy movement. On June 17, in the name of draconian national security law, authorities raided the newspaper’s newsroom, arrested five of its leaders and froze all of its assets.

>> To read also: Apple Daily: end of course for the Hong Kong pro-democracy tabloid?

This latest measure prevents the newspaper from continuing its activities because it can no longer pay its employees and suppliers. On Wednesday, the board of directors of Next Digital, confirmed that “the last printed issue of Apple Daily will be the one dated Saturday, June 26, 2021 and the digital version will no longer be accessible as of 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, 2021 “.

Newspaper boss Jimmy Lai behind bars

The tabloid was started in 1995 by press mogul Jimmy Lai, 73, who is currently in custody and sentenced to multiple prison terms for his involvement in pro-democracy protests in 2019.

He is also charged under the National Security Law, imposed last year by Beijing, with offenses punishable by life imprisonment. Five cadres were arrested for colluding with foreign forces to undermine China’s national security.

>> See also: Hong Kong bids farewell to press freedom

Two executives of the daily, headline editor Ryan Law and managing director Cheung Kim-hung were charged on June 18 and remanded in custody. On Wednesday, it was the daily’s main columnist who was arrested in the name of this law.

This legislation was imposed by Beijing in 2020 in response to the immense pro-democracy mobilization of 2019, when Hong Kong had for months been the scene of almost daily demonstrations and actions to denounce China’s interference in the affairs of its territory in semi-autonomous theory.

The law addresses offenses relating to secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. In fact, its very vague formulation made it possible to suppress any dissenting voice.

With AFP