Hong Kong journalist arrested for alleged sedition: Reports

Allan Au faces as much as one yr in jail if discovered responsible underneath colonial-era regulation.

Police are seen outside the Stand News office building after six people were arrested on the charge of conspiracy to publish a seditious publication on December 29, 2021
Hong Kong police have reportedly arrested veteran journalist Allan Au on sedition fees [File: Tyrone Siu/Reuters]

Hong Kong police have arrested veteran journalist Allan Au on fees of sedition, in accordance with native media, making him the most recent authorities critic to face potential jail time.

Cable channel Now TV reported that Au was arrested at 6am on Monday for “conspiracy to publish seditious materials” in his contributions to Stand Information, a shuttered pro-democracy information outlet.

Stand Information was one in all a number of pro-democracy information retailers compelled to close down final yr after police raided its places of work and arrested senior employees on sedition fees.

Different retailers embrace Apple Each day, whose high executives have been arrested underneath new nationwide safety laws, and Citizen Information, which shut down citing security issues.

Au is employed as a advisor on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Journalism and Communication, though a hyperlink to his skilled web page now seems to be damaged.

Au beforehand hosted a radio program for 11 years on public broadcaster RTHK till the station underwent a administration overhaul final yr and fired a lot of its longtime workers.

On the time, Au instructed the media that his dismissal might have been linked to his vital reporting on the Hong Kong authorities, in accordance with RTHK.

Hong Kong’s sedition regulation dates again to the British colonial period as an “offence in opposition to the crown,” however it stayed on the books after town returned to Chinese language sovereignty in 1997. The cost carries a most penalty of 1 yr in jail.

Since 2020, Hong Kong police have used each colonial-era legal guidelines and new nationwide safety laws to crack down on journalists, activists and opposition politicians.

Final week, Hong Kong arrested six individuals for alleged sedition after they clapped throughout court docket hearings in December and January.

Al Jazeera contacted Hong Kong police, however they didn't instantly affirm the arrest of Au or remark.

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post