“Thanks to all our readers, subscribers, advertisers and Hong Kong citizens for these 26 years of immense love and support.” This is what we read in an online article published by the Apple Daily newspaper announcing the definitive stop of publications, both on the web and on paper. In fact, tomorrow the latest edition of the historic pro-democracy tabloid founded in 1995 by Jimmy Lai, tycoon and activist in prison since last December on charges of real estate fraud and collusion with foreign forces for subversive purposes will be released. The painful decision was taken by the newspaper to ensure the safety of the hundreds of journalists who work for the editorial group.
On 17 June, 500 policemen broke into the newspaper’s office and 5 journalists were arrested. At the same time, 2.3 million dollars belonging to the newspaper were frozen. Various articles were targeted in which the intervention of foreign countries was called for to impose sanctions on the Hong Kong administration and the Chinese government. On the same charges, another journalist was arrested today.
The repressive actions taken by the Hong Kong government in recent weeks against the newspaper and its journalists fall within the application of the “national security law” desired by Beijing to strengthen the control exercised over the former British colony.
Following the raid last week, Apple Daily had increased the circulation of its publication, reaching half a million copies, which were snapped up in newsstands, bought by citizens who in this way showed solidarity with the protest of the newspaper. For the latest edition tomorrow, at least one million copies are expected to be printed.
The crackdown on the tabloid threatens to stifle Hong Kong’s freedom of the press. The UK government defined, in a note from the Foreign Office, “chilling” the consequences that this further tightening will cause on the autonomy of journalism in the city, renewing the growing controversy of recent months between London and Beijing. The Hong Kong journalists’ association also expressed its concern: “This precedent will put a lot of pressure on those who want to investigate and write reports – said President Ronson Chan – we don’t know exactly which line we cannot cross”.
Since the raid, many Apple Daily editors have quit and entire departments have been dismantled. It was only a matter of time before the entire magazine closed its doors.