Today (23 June) marks the fourth anniversary of the forced closure of Apple Daily, once one of Hong Kong’s most prominent independent media outlets. The newspaper was shut down on June 24, 2021, following an escalating campaign of suppression by the Hong Kong government. Several senior editorial and managerial staff were later charged under the National Security Law and have been held in prolonged detention or sentencing. Press freedom in Hong Kong has since entered a dark and chilling era.
According to the latest figures from the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), at least 49 journalists have been arrested since the 2019 anti-extradition protests. Among them, 32 have been prosecuted, 24 convicted or have pleaded guilty, and as of early 2024, 9 remain behind bars. Hong Kong was recently downgraded to the “very serious” red zone for the first time in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking 140th globally, on par with China and North Korea. RSF cited the jailing of journalists and the new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance as tools used to further suppress free expression.
Prolonged Detentions and Ongoing Trials
Since the implementation of the National Security Law in June 2020, the Hong Kong government has continued its crackdown on independent media. Key figures of Apple Daily and other outlets have been held without bail. Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily’s founder, has been jailed since December 3, 2020—over 1,600 days. He was sentenced to 5 years and 9 months for fraud and is currently on trial under the NSL for “conspiring to collude with foreign forces,” with closing arguments set for August 14, 2025.
Six of Lai’s senior editorial and management colleagues—former Next Digital CEO and Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung, former associate publisher Chan Pui-man, former editor-in-chief Law Wai-kwong, among others—have also pleaded guilty to similar charges but are awaiting sentencing pending the conclusion of Lai’s case. As of May 20, 2025, Cheung and Law have been detained for 1,467 days, while the other four have been held for over 1,433 days.
In another landmark case, former Stand News editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam were sentenced last September for “conspiring to publish seditious publications”—the first time Hong Kong journalists have been jailed solely for carrying out legitimate journalistic duties.
Resilience Under an Authoritarian Shadow
Over the past few years, Hong Kong’s journalists have come under relentless pressure from both the National Security Law and the new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Reporting the truth can now easily lead to imprisonment. As authorities increasingly criminalise speech, press freedom in the city has all but collapsed.
Yet amid the darkness, many reporters remain steadfast in their mission to tell the truth. According to the HKJA, 26 new independent media outlets have been established in Hong Kong or abroad in the post-NSL era—a testament to the enduring resilience and courage of Hong Kong journalists who continue to uphold their professional integrity while navigating the shadows of authoritarian rule.