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Hong Kong media outlet closes after police arrests

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 29 Dec 2021

Hong Kong media outlet closes after police arrests

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Hong Kong/UNI/Sputnik: Stand News, an independent publication popular among Hong Kong opposition supporters, said on Wednesday that it had stopped working, following a massive raid and arrests of its employees.

Over 100 police officers arrived at the office of the outlet on Wednesday morning and arrested journalists, including the incumbent editor-in-chief, and four former members of the board of the outlet. They also detained people linked to the outlet who were involved in printing and distribution.

"Stand News has stopped working, the website and other social media have stopped updating and will be deleted soon. Acting editor-in-chief Lin Shaotong has resigned, all employees have been dismissed," the outlet wrote on its Facebook page.

In late June, another pro-opposition newspaper Apple Daily, based in Hong Kong, stopped operations following a series of arrests of its top executives and police raids of its offices. The outlet was charged with collusion with foreign forces to hamper China's national security.

The closures followed the introduction by China of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, which make punishable activities linked to the main four offenses of separatism, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign countries.