Police persquitionné local website “Stand News,” which announced its decision after reviewing the freezing of its assets. Many of its leaders were arrested.
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At dawn on 29 December, local Stand News, one of the last independent media in Hong Kong, were raided by a hundred policemen in uniform and in civilian clothes, arrived on site with dozens of large plastic boxes. Employees already in offices were ordered to leave, and the building was completed. Moments later, Booth News announced the cessation of its activities after learning of the freezing of its assets (61 million Hong Kong dollars or 690,000 euros).
In parallel searches, at least six officers or former members of the online journal of the board were arrested at their homes. Among those arrested in connection with this transaction, identified by local media include singer Denise Hola, famous pop star and activist pro-democracy, who resigned from News Stand Administrative Board in November, the great lawyer and former MP, Margaret ng and Chung Pui-kuen, former chief editor of the online newspaper. Chung had also resigned recently. His wife, Chan Pui-man, also pursued because of his responsibilities at the former opposition newspaper Apple Daily, closed in June by the authorities, was also arrested, said the South China Morning Post on Wednesday .
The police just confirmed the arrest of “three men and three women, aged 34 to 73 years” for “conspiracy to publish seditious elements, contrary to Sections 9 and 10 of the Decree on crimes. ” Although the operation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Police (ad hoc force created specifically to implement the new national security law came into force June 30, 2020), the arrests were made under a law dating from the colonial era (Crimes Ordinance 1937) rather than under the cover of the new law. If it is severe, it is not retroactive effect and therefore can not theoretically apply to events prior to 30 June 2020.
At the hearing Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital media group, and other officials of Apple Daily, the former largest opposition newspaper, which was held at the Kowloon West Court , Tuesday, December 28th, the judges have announced that the accused would also be prosecuted for the same offense of “conspiracy to produce and distribute seditious elements” defined by this colonial law. The next hearing for the leaders of the Apple Daily has been set at the end of February.
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