A Hong Kong media company that was a beacon of free speech in the country, regularly publishing strong criticism of the Chinese government, announced on Sunday that it would close its doors.
As Reuters reported, the company’s board of directors resigned in order to facilitate the liquidation of the company. Next Digital is owned by imprisoned tycoon Jimmy Lai.
Next Digital owned the pro-democracy news site Apple Daily before it closed in June following the arrest of five of its editors and executives under a new law passed last year.
As part of a national security investigation, Next Digital’s office has been raided, its assets frozen and its actions suspended since June 17, Reuters reported.
Next Digital said it hoped the resignation of its board members would allow the Hong Kong government to approve payments to creditors and former employees.
“We observe that the events affecting the company and its employees following the invocation of national security law have occurred despite the absence of trials and convictions,” Next Digital said. “Under this new law, a company can be put into liquidation without the intervention of the courts.”
“As Apple Daily has often observed, Hong Kongers have a collective memory of what life was like elsewhere when freedom of expression was denied: no other rights are safe,” he added.
After Apple Daily was shut down in July, the United States joined 20 other countries in condemning Beijing’s forced shutdown of the newspaper.
“The action against Apple Daily comes amid increased media censorship in Hong Kong, including pressure on the public broadcaster’s independence and recent legal action by Hong Kong authorities against journalists,” the authorities wrote. governments.
“Freedom of the press has been central to Hong Kong’s success and international reputation for many years. Authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China must fully respect and uphold this important right, in accordance with China’s international legal obligations,” they said.
