Burst
Written by: Ling Yide
2020-08-10 15:04
Last update date: 2020-08-10 15:04Li Zhiying, the founder of Next Media Group, was arrested this morning (10th) for violating the "Hong Kong National Security Act" and other three counts. His two sons and four senior officials of Next Media were also arrested. At 9:45 in the morning, Li Guihua, Senior Superintendent of the National Security Service, led more than 200 police officers and brought dozens of exhibit baskets into the Next Media Building in Tseung Kwan O for search. By 2:30 in the afternoon, the police took away 25 boxes of exhibits, including administrative documents and computers.
The Next Media Union issued a statement strongly condemning the police for intimidating the media and severely infringing on the freedom of the press. It believed that law enforcement officers searched newspapers as "an extremely rare and serious incident in Hong Kong history." It criticized the police for using a large number of police forces to search newspapers and hindered the normal operation of media organizations. It is to harass and intimidate the media. I believe the incident will have a catastrophic impact.
A police officer went to the Apple building to search through documents. (Screenshot of Apple Daily)
The statement stated that some police officers had arbitrarily searched the documents and news materials on the reporter's desk before the police had presented the search warrant to the editor-in-chief of Apple Daily, Luo Weiguang and his lawyer. Even if the reporter requested an immediate stop, the police officers still turned a deaf ear. The police search warrant stated that it did not include any news materials. The trade union strongly condemned the police for unauthorized access to news materials, believing that the actions violated the media’s principle of confidentiality of information sources and seriously violated the freedom of the press.
Senior Superintendent of the National Security Department Li Guihua claimed that the police officers were conducting "preliminary censorship" to identify news materials that need to be avoided. The union believed that the law was extremely unreasonable because every department in the office was clearly marked and could be identified as a compilation department Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to believe that the documents within the scope are news materials, and continuing to read it is indeed an abuse of power.
[Li Zhiying arrested] A large number of police officers entered the Next Media Building this morning. (Next Media Trade Union)
In addition, the union also stated that during the search, the police once asked reporters who were interviewing in the building to stop filming, and continued to expand the cordon to the news editing department, obstructing the normal work of the reporters. The union condemned the police's practices and emphasized that the newspaper search involved major public Interests, it is only natural for reporters to be present at the interview, and obstructing the operation of news organizations is a serious violation of press freedom.
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Li Zhiying was arrested | The news alleged that it was involved in conspiracy to defraud the "company secretary" of the suspected industrial estate
Li Zhiying was arrested | Police searched Li Zhiying’s second son, Li Yaoen, Central Restaurant and took a large number of exhibits
Li Zhiying Arrested | The Chairman of the Journalist Association criticizes the action to trample on the freedom of the press, and some media have been refused interview
Li Zhiying was arrested | Police officers once told reporters Li Guihua: News materials will not be searched
Li Zhiying Arrested | Li Guihua Leads 200 Police Search One Media Li Zhiying Detained to the Office for Investigation
Li Zhiying Arrested | Li Zhiying, his two sons, and four senior officials from Next Media were arrested for three crimes
Hong Kong edition of the National Security Law Apple Daily Li Zhiying One Media
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