He wanted to leave Hong Kong and go to the UK, probably London. Instead, last night around 10pm, Fung Wai-kong, 57, one of the most respected journalists and leading columnist of Apple Daily, was stopped at the airport by the police. The charge is always the same: collusion with foreign forces.
Nathan Law: “Hong Kong proves it, Beijing is unreliable”
by Gianni Vernetti
Since the police blitz on June 17 in the editorial office of the newspaper – then forced to close due to lack of funds – Fung is the seventh journalist of the pro-democracy newspaper founded by Jimmy Lai who is arrested in the city.
Hong Kong, another Apple Daily reporter arrested. First trial according to the new pro-Beijing law
“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are fundamental values of Hong Kong – the association of journalists of the city wrote in a statement – It will be difficult for Hong Kong to still be considered an international city”.
Last Thursday, after 26 years, theApple Daily has printed its latest issue. For the occasion, the circulation had been increased to one million copies: immediately snapped up with queues at the newsstands from the first light of dawn. With assets frozen (1.8 million Hong Kong dollars, about 2.3 million US dollars) and with Lai in prison since December sentenced to 20 months for unauthorized demonstrations and awaiting a retrial, it was impossible. continue publications.
The Hong Kong challenge in Beijing, everyone lined up to buy the latest copy of the Apple Daily
On June 17, the blitz of 500 police officers in the newspaper’s editorial office led to 5 arrests, including the director, Ryan Law, and the CEO, Cheung Kim-hung. The accusation: collusion with foreign forces, according to the new national security law imposed by Beijing last year on the former British colony. A few days later it was the turn of Li Ping, another leading columnist of the now defunct newspaper.
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