Lights out at Hong Kong’s Apple Daily

Jimmy Lai and Apple Daily – its winning slogan: “An apple a day keeps the liars away”
    
Jun 2019: Protests begin in Hong Kong, with millions of people demonstrating against proposed extradition bill

Jul 8: Apple Daily and Next Digital founder, maverick businessman-turned-pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai meets U.S. vice-president Mike Pence to discuss extradition bill and human rights issues. High-profile meeting angers Beijing

Jun 30, 2020: Beijing imposes national security law (NSL) on Hong Kong, outlawing acts of sedition, secession, and foreign collusion

Aug 10: Lai and senior Next Digital media executives are arrested, Apple Daily newsroom is raided. Lai – accused of colluding with foreign forces – is released on bail

Dec 3: Lai and two Next Digital executives are charged with fraud – they are denied bail
                    
Dec 11: Lai is charged with foreign collusion under NSL

Dec 29: Lai resigns as chair and executive director of Next Digital

May 2021: Authorities freeze Lai’s assets. Lai is serving prison sentence over protest-related charges, and is facing three national security charges

Jun 17: National security police arrest editor-in-chief, Ryan Law, and four other Apple Daily executives, alleging “collusion with a foreign country.” They also freeze HK$18 million ($2.32 million) of assets owned by three companies linked to paper

Jun 18: More than 500,000 copies of Apple Daily are bought by Hongkongers in support

Jun 22: Next Digital says paper will have to close if assets are not released to allow it to pay staff. Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, rejects international criticism over attack on press
freedom
        
Jun 23: Apple Daily’s last edition rolls off presses after 26 years of operation


Sources: AFP, Reuters, South China Morning Post
Pictures: Getty Images 
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