US Officials, Rights Groups Condemn Forced Closure of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily
U.S. lawmakers and rights groups sounded alarms after Hong Kong’s pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily ceased operations on Thursday. Apple Daily, one of the only remaining media outlets in Hong Kong that was publishing voices critical of the Chinese regime and views supportive of Hong Kong protesters, printed its last edition on June 24. Its website […]
U.S. lawmakers and rights groups sounded alarms after Hong Kong’s pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily ceased operations on Thursday. Apple Daily, one of the only remaining media outlets in Hong Kong that was publishing voices critical of the Chinese regime and views supportive of Hong Kong protesters, printed its last edition on June 24. Its website is now inaccessible, as well as its mobile app, Twitter account, and YouTube channel. The paper said its decision to close was based on “employee safety and manpower considerations.” The outlet was in a financial crunch after Hong Kong authorized the freeze of HK$18 million ($2.3 million) worth of assets from three companies linked to the paper on June 17. The seizure was part of a local police operation that raided the paper’s headquarters on the same day and the arrest of five of its directors. Two of the directors are now facing collusion charges, ...
