Events In the morning on 17 June 2021, the National Security Department of the
Hong Kong Police Force arrested five Next Digital executives. They included the company's CEO Cheung Kim-hung, COO Royston Chow Tat-kuen,
Apple Daily editor-in-chief Ryan Law, vice-president Chan Pui-man, and
Next Animation Studio chief executive director Cheung Chi-wai. Around 500 police officers and National Security Department officers went straight to the
Apple Daily headquarters in
Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, blocking off the building and all exits. All staff and persons entering the building must register with ID cards and staff cards, and are also required providing personal information such as telephone number and address, Li Kwai-wah, a senior Superintendent of the National Security Department of the police, also came to investigate. A police officer wearing a black vest at the scene said that after registration, all employees returning to the building could only leave or go to the restaurant on the 5th floor, and cannot enter other areas of the building. They also pointed out that they were searching for evidence at the scene to prevent reporters from returning to work, and that shooting was prohibited.
Police asked reporter to leave the desk When the police arrived, there were about 20 employees in the
Apple Daily building, including several reporters and cleaners. The police asked everyone to lay down their work and gather in the lobby on the second floor. The police then registered their ID cards and then asked them to stop work and leave, the reporter was asked to go to the staff restaurant on the 5th floor. During the period, a number of police officers randomly searched the documents on the reporter's desk and opened the cabinet, and asked the reporter to testify. However, the reporter claimed that the company lawyer could only read the documents after the company's lawyer arrived, and refused to assist in the search for evidence. The police officer immediately called the reporter to sit down. Low, and there was no positive response as to whether the evidence search will begin after the lawyer arrives. An agent turned on the reporter's computer to search for information. At present, all reporters in the building have been asked to leave the editorial department and wait in the underground space or on the 5th floor. They were unable to enter and exit the building freely. Police officers stepped forward to stop them. The reporter used a camcorder to film police officers during the search. It is reported that an employee's company phone placed on the desk on the second floor had a record of "being online" at 8 o'clock in the morning.
Police searched two arrested executives residence The five arrested persons are CEO of Next Digital Cheung Kim-hung, COO Chow Tat-kuen, vice president of
Apple Daily Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law and chief executive director Cheung Chi-wai. Several police officers arrived at
Kornhill before 7 am. About half an hour later, Ryan Law was taken away from the apartment. At that time, his hands were handcuffed. In addition, some media said that Chan Pui-man's residence was forcibly "exploded" by the police. Inside, the search lasted two and a half hours, and two electronic devices that did not belong to Chan were taken away, including two laptop computers and a tablet computer. They were taken to Tseung Kwan O Police Station, Chai Wan Police Station and Cheung Sha Wan Police Station to assist in the investigation. By 9 am, Cheung and Law were taken away from the police station. They were then taken by a private car to the Apple Daily building to search for evidence. The lawyers was also present to find out. When Cheung and Law were brought into the building, their hands were locked in handcuffs. Nearly 10:30 am, Cheung, Chow, and Chan were taken back to the
Apple Daily headquarters by police.
NSD freezes Apple Daily-related assets Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department explained the incident at 11 a.m., said that more than 500 police forces were used in the operation this morning. The police had frozen the assets of three companies, including
Apple Daily,
Apple Printing and
AD Internet Limited totaling HK$18 million. Since 2019,
Apple Daily has contained dozens of articles calling for foreign sanctions against the
CCP and the SAR government. The five arrested people are very important to the company's operations. They are responsible for the content style and policy of the article, and it is not ruled out that some people will be arrested. catch. At about 12 noon, 2 Apple Daily executives and 3 journalists were taken away from the headquarters. Editor-in-chief Ryan Law was taken to the North Point Police Station for investigation, and Next Media CEO Cheung Kim-hung was taken there Cheung Sha Wan Police Station; COO Chow Tat-kuen was first taken to Aberdeen Police Station, and then transferred to Western Police Station for detainment. Vice President Chan Pui-man was taken to Tseung Kwan O Police Station; after chief executive director Cheung Chi-wai left the building, he was taken to Wong Tai Sin Police Station. The police will seize documents and materials in the
Apple Daily headquarters, including at least 44 computers, containing a large amount of news materials. In addition, they will seize more than a large number of past newspapers from the newspaper's library. The dates involved are from January 2017 to that day. These exhibits were put into a number of blue plastic boxes, and then the police officers moved the plastic boxes to a secret truck parked downstairs to take them away. At about 1:15 pm, the police raided the
Apple Daily headquarters for more than 5 hours and then collected the team and left.
Gallery File:Apple Daily office outside PTU police 20210617.png|A number of police officers are seen guarding outside the
Apple Daily building File:Apple Daily office outside police private car 20210617.png|The arrested director of
Apple Daily arrived at the building in a police car to search for evidence File:Steve Li Kwai-wah speak outside Apple Daily Office 20210617.png|Senior Superintendent of the National Security Department Li Kwai-wah meets with the media outside the Apple Daily headquarters File:《蘋果日報》副社長陳沛敏 arrested 20210617.png|Apple Daily vice-president Chan Pui-man was taken away by police File:Office harddisk removed by police view2 20210617.png|One of the journalist desks after raided by police
Reactions Hong Kong •
Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on a press conference that the arrests are not related to journalism work but the endangerment to national security. She reaffirmed that no one shall use the name of journalism to carry out actions breaching the National Security Law. •
Secretary for Security John Lee said on a press conference that the arrest operation is aimed at the suspected use of journalism as a tool to endanger national security. The property frozen this time is the property of suspected criminals. He also emphasized that national security is a top priority, and endangering national security is a very serious crime, which can be sentenced to life imprisonment, and anyone engaged in any job must abide by the
National Security Law and other laws. He said for those who try to use journalism as an umbrella or cover to commit crimes that endanger national security, the SAR government will definitely take the most severe measures to crack down in accordance with the law. •
Hong Kong Liaison Office stated that it firmly supports the SAR government and the police to strictly implement all efforts made to maintain national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Violations of the Hong Kong National Security Law and related laws will be severely sanctioned by the law. •
Office for Safeguarding National Security stated that any institution, organization and individual in the Hong Kong shall abide by the National Security Law and other laws of the Hong Kong concerning the maintenance of national security, and shall not engage in acts and activities that endanger national security. The National Security Agency in Hong Kong resolutely supports the police in performing their duties in accordance with the law, and resolutely crack down on any acts that endanger national security in accordance with the law.
United Kingdom • Foreign Minister
Dominic Raab said that today's raid and raid of Apple Daily in Hong Kong showed that the CCP is using the National Security Law to target different voices, rather than addressing public safety issues. Press freedom is the CCP's commitment to protect in the
Sino-British Joint Declaration. He also said that one of the rights that should be respected. •
Minister of State for Asia Nigel Adams stated on his Twitter that as a signatory of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the CCP is committed to protecting Hong Kong's freedom of the press and freedom of speech. It must abide by these commitments. The closure of the Apple Daily today is another chilling step to eliminate opposition.
United States • Despite Apple Daily publishing right wing misinformation about the
controversies surrounding his son
Hunter, U.S. President
Joe Biden stated that through arrests, threats, and forcing through National Security Law that punishes free speech, Beijing has insisted on wielding its power to suppress independent media and silence dissenting views. • U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said the arrests was the sad day for the freedom of the press in Hong Kong. He also said that Hong Kong people have the right to freedom of the press, and supports the people of Hong Kong and all those who defend basic freedoms. • Spokesman of the Department of State
Ned Price said on briefing that the United States strongly condemns the arrest of five senior executives of the
Apple Daily and its parent company, and demands their immediate release. The accusation of "crime of endangering national security by foreign forces" appears to be entirely politically motivated.
Others • The
Global Affairs Canada stated that the arrest of five executives from Hong Kong's Apple Daily is another example of national security law being used to suppress freedom of the press. Canada firmly supports freedom of speech and press, which must be protected by Basic Law and comply with international norms. • The Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs Trade stated that Australia is concerned about the arrest of Apple Daily reporters and that this will have an impact on Hong Kong's freedom of speech, as stipulated in the Hong Kong Basic Law based on the Sino-British Joint Declaration. • New Zealand Foreign Minister
Nanaia Mahuta said that New Zealand has long been a defender of freedom of the press, which is vital to protecting basic human rights. New Zealand is concerned about the Hong Kong SAR government's forced closure of the Apple Daily, which has further eroded Hong Kong's rights and freedoms. • The spokesperson of
European External Action Service said that this raid further demonstrated how the National Security Law was used to stifle freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong. All existing rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people must be fully protected, including freedom of the press and the press. •
Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan
Katsunobu Kato called the closure of Apple Daily a "major setback" for freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Hong Kong and voiced "increasingly grave concerns" over the situation.
Effects Closure of Apple Daily On 21 June,
Apple Daily announced it would have to close unless the accounts were unfrozen, as it was unable to pay its staff or support operating costs. On 23 June, the newspaper said it would close "in view of staff members' safety" and the print run of 24 June would be its last.
Apple Daily also said its digital version would go offline at 23:59 Hong Kong Time (UTC+8) on 23 June. Activists backed up the news articles from
Apple Daily on various blockchain platforms to ensure the content was available and free from Chinese censorship.
Subsequent arrests and charges against executives On the next day after the raid,
Apple Daily editor-in-chief Ryan Law and CEO Cheung Kim-hung were charged for colluding with foreign forces, and they both remanded in prison. Meanwhile, the three others (Chan Pui-man, Chow Tat-kuen and Cheun Chi-wai) were released on bail, while pending their further investigation by the police.
Apple Daily editorialist "Li Ping" (Yeung Ching-kee) was arrested on 23 June “on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security”, Fung Wai-kong, editor-in-chief of the English news section at
Apple Daily, was arrested on 27 June at
Hong Kong International Airport while attempting to flee the city. On 21 July, former executive director of now-closed
Apple Daily, Lam Man-chung, was arrested for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces. On 22 July, the remaining four executives, Chan Pui-man, Lam Man-chung, Fung Wai-kwong and Yeung Ching-kee, were all charged for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces. All of them had their bail denied while being detained at the police station, and they will appear at
West Kowloon Courts on Thursday. == Court proceedings ==