‘Hanging by a thread’: Hong Kong newspaper warns over press freedom after police raid

Following the raid on their newsroom Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy newspaper, told its readers it would ‘stand firm’

Police stand guard near the offices of the local Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong on Thursday after police arrested five executives (AFP/Getty)

In a move that’s being seen as a warning shot to the island’s media organisations, hundreds of police from Hong Kong’s national security department raided Apple Daily’s newsroom on Thursday. Officers took dozens of computers, hard-drives, and other journalistic materials.

“They took away computers and checked messages on reporters’ computers and phones,” said Chris Yeung, the chairperson of Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA). “It raised concerns about the police’s access to journalistic materials. That should be protected and it’s vitally important to press freedom and the safety of sources.”

Police later claimed that dozens of reports published by the paper since 2019 have potentially violated the National Security Law (NSL), which came into effect last July. Notably, it marks the first time that articles published by media outlets have been cited as evidence of a crime under the new law.