Hong Kong Apple Daily founder and staff face new sedition charge

Relo

28/12/2021 04:04

By James Pomfret and Sara Cheng
    HONG KONG, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Hong Kong prosecutors on
Tuesday filed a "seditious publications" charge against jailed
media tycoon Jimmy Lai who already faces charges under a tough
national security law that critics say has stifled freedoms in
the Asian financial hub.
    Lai, 74, the founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily
newspaper, appeared in court alongside six other former Apple
Daily staff. The daily tabloid closed in June after authorities
raided the newspaper, arrested staff on national security
grounds and froze assets.
    Lai already faces two charges under a national security law
that Beijing imposed on the former British colony last June,
including collusion with a foreign country. 
    The additional sedition charge accuses Lai of conspiracy to
print, publish, sell, distribute "seditious publications"
between April 2019 and June 24, 2021.
    Prosecutors allege that the publications could "bring into
hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection" against the Hong
Kong and Chinese governments, according to the charge sheet seen
by Reuters.
    Lai is among the most prominent people to be charged under
the national security law that was enacted in June 2020 to
punish terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and
secession with possible life imprisonment. 
    Lai's repeated arrests and prosecutions have drawn criticism
from Western governments and international rights groups, who
say the law has been used to jail scores of pro-democracy
campaigners, crush dissent and freedoms including of the press.
    Hong Kong and Chinese authorities say the law has restored
stability after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019. 
    Lai has been convicted in several unauthorised assembly
cases. He has been detained for over a year and is now in the
maximum security Stanley Prison in solitary confinement,
according to two sources familiar with the matter. 
    The same conspiracy to produce seditious publications charge
was filed against the six former Apple Daily staffers, including
chief editor Ryan Law; deputy chief editor Chan Pui-man; Cheung
Kim-hung, the CEO of Next Digital, Apple's parent media company;
columnist Yeung Ching-kee; English edition editor Fung Wai-kong;
and senior editor Lam Man-chung. 
    The six have also been accused of "conspiracy to commit
collusion with a foreign country or with external elements". 
    Magistrate Peter Law adjourned the case until Feb. 24. All
of the defendants will continue to be remanded in custody until
then.

 (Reporting by James Pomfret and Sara Cheng; Editing by Robert
Birsel)
 ((james.pomfret@thomsonreuters.com; +852-28436390; Reuters
Messaging: james.pomfret.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))