U.S. Press Leaders Condemn Crackdown on Hong Kong's Journalists

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. press leaders strongly criticized on Thursday the latest assault on press freedom in Hong Kong--a police raid on the offices of the Apple Daily newspaper.

National Press Club President Lisa Nicole Matthews and NPC Journalism Institute President Angela Greiling Keane issued the following statement:

"The people of Hong Kong are well acquainted with freedom of the press and understand its value in making society more efficient and just. They should not have to stand for this attack on journalism and journalists. We stand with our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong and call for an end to this campaign of terror against truth."

More than 100 police officers raided Apple Daily's offices on Thursday and arrested five executives and editors at the paper and its parent company, Next Digital, according to news reports. The police cited "collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security."

Authorities also froze the company's accounts and cautioned readers not to repost some of the Apple Daily's articles online.

Next Digital and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is currently in prison and on trial for alleged violations of a draconian national security law imposed by China in 2020. Lai was sentenced earlier this year to 14 months in prison under a separate charge: for allegedly organizing and participating in illegal demonstrations in 2019.

Thursday's raid was the latest in an escalating series of attempts to rein in Hong Kong's decades-long tradition of free expression--a campaign of repression that grew after enactment of the 2020 national security law.

In recent months, authorities in Hong Kong have cracked down on a public broadcaster, warned journalists against publishing "fake news," and convicted a journalist for false statements after a report that was critical of police. 

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

Contact: John Donnelly, NPC Press Freedom Team Chairman: [email protected] 202-650-6738.

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SOURCE National Press Club