: Hong Kong Police Arrest Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai and Raid His Newspaper Under National Security Law #WorldNEWS Hong Kong police arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai and raided the offices of his flagship

Posted in: #BREAKING #NationalSecurityLaw #WorldNEWS

Hong Kong Police Arrest Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai and Raid His Newspaper Under National Security Law #WorldNEWS
Hong Kong police arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai and raided the offices of his flagship newspaper, the most high-profile case yet against democracy activists in the city under a national security law that has fueled U. S. -China tensions.
Lai was shown handcuffed as he was taken away by officers from his home on Monday morning, according to a live feed broadcast by his media network Next Digital Ltd. When a reporter asked Lai for his views on the arrest, he answered: “What views do I have? They want to arrest me. ”
Police said that seven people ages 39 to 72 had been arrested on suspicion of “breaches” of the security legislation, with offenses including collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security. An investigation is underway, it said. While the force didn’t name any of the people arrested, Lai is 72 years old.

#BREAKING : So far, 7 people, aged between 39 to 72, have been arrested on suspicion of breaches of the #NationalSecurityLaw . Offences include collusion with a foreign country/external elements to endanger national security, Article 29 of the #NSL. Investigation is underway.
— Hong Kong Police Force (@hkpoliceforce) August 10, 2020

Lai’s arrest was reported by Apple Daily, the flagship newspaper under Next Digital. Others taken in included Lai’s two sons and other top members of Next Digital, Oriental Daily reported, citing unidentified people.
Apple Daily reported mid-morning that nearly 200 officers were entering their offices. The Hong Kong police said on Facebook that they had obtained a court-issued search warrant to enter a building in the Tseung Kwan O neighborhood where Next Digital’s offices are located to investigate crimes endangering national security. They did not mention Apple Daily in the post.
“Because this is a media company, we are aware that there may be journalistic material involved,” Li Kwai-wah, senior superintendent of the police force’s national security department said at briefing outside the office building. “So my officers and I conducted a preliminary investigation to find out which premises we may not search for example, the assignment and reporting desks. If there is a possibility that there would be news materials there, we will not conduct a search. ”

Billy H. C. Kwok–Getty ImagesPolice officers stand in front of a cordon line outside the offices of the Apple Daily newspaper, published by Next Digital Ltd. , on August 10, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. Media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, has been arrested under Hong Kongs national security legislation.
Lai was shown being walked around the Apple Daily office in the Next Digital live feed, and said police had showed him the warrant.