Hong Kong pro-democracy media group closing
Publisher of recently closed pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, Next Digital, has announced that it aims to go into liquidation. The board of directors has resigned and issued a statement.
Next Digital is owned by businessman Jimmy Lai who was jailed after Apple Daily’s newsroom was raided by police. The newspaper was Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy newspaper and a critic of Hong Kong and Chinese leadership.
Apple Daily was closed in June when its assets had been frozen with authorities saying they had started a national security investigation.
Next Digital’s board in a statement said:
“Following the arrests of the two directors of the Company and last year of founder Jimmy Lai, seven former Next Digital executives, editors and editorial writers have also been arrested under the National Security Law.”
“The Hong Kong government has never indicated which articles published by Apple Daily allegedly violated the National Security Law. This uncertainty created a climate of fear, resulting in many resignations among the remaining staff at the Company in Hong Kong, including those responsible for the regulatory compliance duties of a publicly-traded company.”
The board says it has concluded that the best interests of shareholders, creditors, employees and other stakeholders will be served by an orderly liquidation.
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