[Global Times Special Correspondent in Hong Kong Yang Weimin] Another high-level arrest of Hong Kong's "Apple Daily", a subsidiary of Next Media, founded by anti-China and Hong Kong activist Li Zhiying, has ceased publication.
According to the Hong Kong Oriental Daily News, the 51-year-old former "Apple Daily" executive editor Lin Wenzong was arrested by the National Security Office of the police on the 21st on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security and detained at the Changsha Bay Police Station.
The former "Apple Daily" vice president Chen Peimin and others who were arrested earlier were revoked by the police's National Security Office and their bail arrangements were also detained at the police station.
The case is expected to appear in West Kowloon Magistracy on the 22nd.
The “crime of colluding with foreign or foreign forces to endanger national security” specifies that for foreign or foreign institutions, organizations, and personnel to steal, spy, buy, and illegally provide state secrets or intelligence related to national security; request foreign or foreign institutions, organizations, and personnel to implement , Conspiracy with foreign or foreign institutions, organizations, personnel, etc. are all crimes, and the maximum sentence is life imprisonment or more than 10 years of imprisonment.
On the 21st, Secretary for Security Deng Bingqiang responded to the arrest of Lin Wenzong, reiterating that anyone who violates the law will be arrested, but the details of the case are under investigation and it is not convenient to comment.
Prior to this, in August 2020, Hong Kong police arrested Li Zhiying and CEO Zhang Jianhong of Next Media in accordance with the Hong Kong National Security Law.
In June of this year, the police again raided the "Apple Daily" and arrested many high-level officials.
The police also froze three bank accounts including Apple Daily, involving 18 million Hong Kong dollars.
On June 24, the "Apple Daily" ceased publication after the last newspaper was published.