In Hong Kong, authorities are forcing independent media outlets to close. On January 4, Citizen News ceased operations

Hong Kong authorities are increasing pressure on the media to close. In the new 2022 on the cessation of work announced editors of the online edition Citizen News. Self-dissolution is motivated by “deterioration of press freedom”.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Citizen News will cease operations on January 4, 2022. The site will no longer be updated and will be closed, – noted in the publication of the publication. – Our boat got caught in a storm. What lies ahead of us is not just wind showers, but hurricanes and tsunamis. Unfortunately, we can no longer translate our beliefs into reality without fear, since in recent years there have been major changes in society and the media environment has deteriorated. In this crisis situation, we must first of all ensure the safety and well-being of all those on board. ”

The representative of the publication also noted that the fate of the Stand News publication influenced the decision to stop working.

The Chinese-language website Citizen News was founded five years ago by a group of ten journalists. The portal quickly gained popularity, and its staff grew to several dozen reporters. They have repeatedly published materials criticizing the authorities of the PRC and the government of Hong Kong.

In October 2021, the secretary (minister) for security of the local administration, Chris Tan, accused Citizen News of publishing inaccurate information, “misleading readers.”

On December 29, Hong Kong police froze the assets of opposition online publication Stand News and detained seven former and current senior officials as part of an investigation into a national security threat. They are suspected of conspiring to publish “inflammatory material” allegedly aimed at inciting hatred and violence in the community. After arrests and searches, the website’s editorial board announced the termination of its work.

Stand News was founded in 2014 and quickly gained popularity among opposition activists. The publication widely covered the massive anti-government actions of 2019. The protesters then opposed the extradition bill, fearing that if passed, it would finally fall under the jurisdiction of China, which would mean a departure from the principle of “one country, two systems.”

The site’s editors have slowed down after the passage of a new law to protect national security in Hong Kong in the summer of 2020. He gave the police the right to seize journalistic materials during searches.

In late June 2021, police froze the assets of a major opposition newspaper, Apple Daily, arresting several of its top officials. On December 15, the Hong Kong Supreme Court ordered the liquidation of Next Digital, the media holding that published the newspaper and belonged to media mogul Jimmy Lai, arrested at the end of 2020. The businessman is accused of “collusion with external forces” and violation of the new law on the protection of national security, adopted in the summer of 2020. He faces a life sentence.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said on January 4 that the shutdowns of Citizen News and Stand News were not politically motivated. According to her, law enforcement agencies did not put pressure on journalists, writes The Standard.