Sharjah24 – AFP: Hong Kong police raided the office of local media outlet Stand News and arrested six current and former staff on Wednesday for "seditious publication".
Suppression of Hong Kong's local press has increased in the wake of huge and often violent democracy protests two years ago and the subsequent imposition of a sweeping national security law.
More than 200 officers were deployed to search the Stand News office with court authorisation to seize journalistic materials, police said, confirming six arrests.
A reporter saw Stand News acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam being led handcuffed into the office building.
Shortly before dawn, Stand News had broadcast live on Facebook that national security police were outside the door of deputy assignment editor Ronson Chan.
In the brief video, officers were seen telling Chan they had a warrant to investigate charges of "conspiracy to publish seditious publication", under a British colonial-era law.
Chan's home was searched, but he was not arrested.
Stand News is the second Hong Kong media company targeted by the authorities after Apple Daily, which shut down in June after its assets were frozen under the national security law.
For an optimal experience, please
