Hong Kong Chief Executive: "Arrest of Apple Daily Executives Unrelated to Press Freedom"

Hong Kong Arrests Executive of Pro-Democracy Media Apple Daily and Freezes Assets
Chief Executive Lam Defends as "Lawful Enforcement" Amid Press Freedom Criticism

Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, recently claimed that the controversy over the closure of the pro-China media outlet Apple Daily is unrelated to the issue of press freedom.

On the 22nd, during a regular press conference, Chief Executive Lam stated that the ongoing investigation into Apple Daily is not related to the media outlet's journalistic stance.

Lam asserted, "Hong Kong's National Security Law must be strictly enforced," adding, "It should not be framed as an infringement on press freedom simply because the investigation targets a media company."

This is interpreted as a reiteration that the arrest of Apple Daily executives was due to their violation of the National Security Law, unrelated to their journalistic activities.

In response to reporters' questions about what constitutes "legitimate" journalistic activity as claimed by the authorities, Lam said, "This question is better answered by the reporters themselves," and added, "Journalists should be able to judge whether their activities violate the law."

Earlier, Hong Kong police arrested five senior executives of Apple Daily under the Hong Kong National Security Law, which came into effect last year. Additionally, this week, the authorities froze Apple Daily's assets, leading to a temporary suspension of the publication.

These measures have been criticized by the U.S. government and human rights organizations worldwide as acts infringing on Hong Kong's press freedom.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.