Hong Kong police detain 5 editors and executives at a pro-democracy rally. The Apple Daily newspaper is published daily.

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Kirti Pathak
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Hong Kong police

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For the first time, Hong Kong police deployed a broad national security statute against a pro-democracy daily on Thursday, arresting five editors and executives on suspicions of cooperation with foreign powers. Police said they had strong evidence that more than 30 articles published by Apple Daily played a "critical role" in a conspiracy with other countries to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong in reaction to a crackdown on civil freedoms in the Chinese city's semi-autonomous status.

Apple Daily has frequently chastised the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for tightening control over the city and breaking Beijing's vow that the region would keep its freedoms when it was given over to Britain in 1997. Jimmy Lai, the creator of Apple Daily, is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence for his role in unlicensed gatherings in 2019, during a period of large anti-government protests in Hong Kong asking for universal suffrage and democratic freedoms.

According to Li Kwai-wah, a senior superintendent at Hong Kong's National Security Department, police also froze the equivalent of $2.8 million Cdn in assets belonging to three firms affiliated to Apple Daily. The British government accused China of exploiting national security legislation to target dissent rather than dealing with public safety.

"Today's raids and arrests at Apple Daily in Hong Kong show Beijing is exploiting the National Security Law to hunt dissenting voices rather than addressing public security," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stated. "Press freedom is one of the rights China vowed to safeguard in the Joint Declaration, and it should be respected," he said.

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The search of Apple Daily's headquarters involved more than 200 police officers, and the government stated a warrant was acquired to look for proof of a possible violation of national security law. According to Apple Daily, the South China Morning Post, and other local media, those arrested included Apple Daily's main editor Ryan Law, Next Digital CEO Cheung Kim-hung, the publisher's chief operational officer, and two other editors.

Hong Kong Security Minister John Lee said at a press conference that police will look into both Apple Daily employees and others to see if they were involved in initiating or supporting the crimes. According to him, the police action against the Apple Daily editors and executives has nothing to do with "regular journalistic activity."

"The action targeted the use of journalistic activity as a tool to jeopardize national security," he stated, cautioning people to avoid individuals under investigation because they are not "regular journalists."

He stated that everyone working as a journalist in Hong Kong must follow the regulations, particularly the national security legislation.

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