HK media mogul arrested under security law
Hong Kong authorities broadened their enforcement of a new national security law on Monday, arresting media tycoon Jimmy Lai, searching the headquarters of his Next Digital group and carting away boxes of what they said was evidence.
Two days after Chinese and Hong Kong officials shrugged off sanctions imposed on them by the US, the moves showed China's determination to enforce the new law and curb dissent in the semi-autonomous city after months of massive pro-democracy demonstrations last year.
The police action marked the first time the law was used against news media, stoking fears that authorities are suppressing press freedom.
Next Digital operates Apple Daily, a feisty pro-democracy tabloid that often condemns China's Communist Party government. Last year, the newspaper frequently urged readers to take part in the anti-government protests.
Hong Kong police arrested Lai on Monday morning, an aide to the businessman said, in the highest-profile detention under the new law since it took effect in late June.
Lai, 71, is an outspoken pro-democracy figure who regularly criticizes China's authoritarian rule and Hong Kong's government.
Mark Simon, a Next Digital executive and Lai's aide, said Lai was charged with collusion with foreign powers. He said police searched the homes of Lai and his son and detained several other members of the media company.
Hong Kong police said they arrested at least nine people between the ages of 23 and 72 on suspicion of violating the new security law, with offenses including collusion with a foreign country and conspiracy to defraud. They did not release the names of those arrested or provide further details of the charges.
Following Lai's arrest, about 200 police raided Next Digital's headquarters, cordoning off the area, searching desks and at times getting into heated exchanges with staff. What police were looking for in the building wasn't clear, although they later said they took away 25 boxes of evidence for processing.