The former editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Apple Daily has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of “collusion with foreign forces”. Earlier, eight other employees of the pro-democracy newspaper were arrested for violating the controversial security law.
Police stated that a 51-year-old employee of a media company has been arrested, but as usual does not reveal the identity of the suspect. A police source confirmed that he was Lam Man Chong. He was the editor-in-chief of the Apple Daily before the newspaper published its last issue on June 24.
Apple Daily closed its doors after 26 years due to financial problems that emerged a week ago after the arrest of key employees and the freezing of assets. Dozens of articles were violating the safety law. According to the authorities, the opposition newspaper supported calls for international sanctions against China.
Police say the investigation is still ongoing and no further arrests have been ruled out. Owner Jamie Lai and two key employees of Apple Daily are currently in prison. In all, more than 120 people are on trial for violating the security law. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment.
The Security Law prohibits subversive activities, terrorism, foreign interference, and the pursuit of independence. This was introduced by Beijing due to the anti-government protests in Hong Kong, which regularly spiraled out of control in the first half. The law made it difficult for critics to publicly criticize the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities without consequences.
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