China News Service, Hong Kong, June 19 (Reporter Wang Jiacheng) On the 19th, two senior executives of Hong Kong Next Media and Apple Daily, Zhang Jianhong, Luo Weiguang and three related companies were brought before the West Kowloon Magistrates for suspected violation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

At the request of the prosecution, the magistrate adjourned the case until August 13.

During this period, Zhang Jianhong and Luo Weiguang must be remanded in custody.

  The defendants in this case are Apple Daily Co., Ltd., Apple Daily Printing Co., Ltd., Apple Daily Internet Co., Ltd., CEO Zhang Jianhong (59 years old) of Next Media Group, and Luo Weiguang (47 years old), chief editor of Apple Daily.

Zhang Jianhong, Chief Executive Officer of Next Media, and Luo Weiguang, Editor-in-Chief of Apple Daily, were suspected of violating Hong Kong's National Security Law. On the morning of June 19, the two were escorted by police vehicles to West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts for interrogation.

The case was postponed until August 13th.

The picture shows a police vehicle escorting two people to West Kowloon Magistracy for interrogation.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Zhihua

  They were charged with the crime of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security.

The prosecution pointed out that between July 1, 2020 and April 3, 2021 (both dates inclusive), the defendants conspired with Li Zhiying and others in Hong Kong to request foreign or overseas institutions, organizations, and personnel to implement Impose sanctions, blockades, or take other hostile actions against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the People's Republic of China.

  The prosecution applied to postpone the case pending further investigation by the police, including inspection of 40 computers and 16 servers seized earlier. The defendant has no objection.

The magistrate then adjourned the case until 2:30 pm on August 13, and the 5 defendants do not need to reply for the time being.

  Regarding the issue of Zhang Jianhong and Luo Weiguang’s bail, the magistrate, after hearing the statements of the two parties, believed that there was not enough reason to believe that the two would not continue to engage in acts endangering national security, so they decided to reject their application for bail.

The two waived the right to review bail every 8 days.

  In addition, Zhang Jianhong and Luo Weiguang also expressed through their lawyer representatives that they would resign from all positions in Next Media.

  According to an earlier report, the five senior executives of Next Media and Apple Daily include Zhang Jianhong, Chief Executive Officer of Next Media, Zhou Daquan, Chief Operating Officer, Luo Weiguang, Editor-in-Chief of Apple Daily, Chen Peimin, Vice President, and Zhang Zhiwei, Platform Director of Apple News on the 17th. Arrested on suspicion of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law.

The assets of Apple Daily Co., Ltd., Apple Daily Printing Co., Ltd. and Apple Daily Internet Co., Ltd. were also frozen in accordance with the law, involving a total of 18 million Hong Kong dollars.

(Finish)