The Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, known for its critical tone to China, has decided to suspend the publication of the morning edition of the 26th of this month, saying that it will be difficult to continue business if the funds freeze by the authorities is not lifted. I did.
Hong Kong newspaper Ringo Daily reported this month that two top executives and top editors have violated the Hong Kong National Security Act, which cracks down on rebel movements for harming national security by colluding with foreign powers. Was charged with.
The Apple Daily as a company has also been indicted, and police have frozen the combined funds of the Apple Daily and the two group companies at HK $ 18 million, or about 250 million yen in Japanese yen.
Regarding this, the company that controls the group held a board meeting on the 21st and decided the future policy.
According to it, the police were asked to unfreeze the funds, and if it was not unfrozen, it would be difficult to continue the business, so the newspaper will be stopped at the end of the morning edition on the 26th of this month, and articles will be distributed on the Internet. It means to stop.
The final decision will be made on the 25th of this month.
The founder, Jimmy Lai, was sentenced to prison for participating in an unauthorized rally, and was held in prison, and was also charged with violating the National Security Law. The trial is ongoing.
In Hong Kong, the National Security Law came into force next week, and it will be a year, during which time the media has been tightened.
Under these circumstances, if the Apple Daily, which has been criticizing the government severely, will stop issuing, Hong Kong's "free speech", which has been guaranteed under the one country, two systems system, will be greatly reduced.