Press freedom group says consultant denied entry to Hong Kong | Press Freedom Information

Adeyemi Adeyemi

World Courant

Reporters With out Borders says an advocacy employee was held for six hours earlier than being deported.

A consultant of Reporters With out Borders (RSF) was denied entry to Hong Kong after being detained, searched and interrogated for six hours, the press freedom group stated.

Aleksandra Bielakowska, a Taiwan-based advocacy activist, was denied entry and deported on Wednesday after touring to the town to attend the trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai, RSF stated in a press release.

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Rebecca Vincent, RSF marketing campaign director, stated the group was “shocked” on the remedy of their colleague.

“We now have by no means seen such blatant makes an attempt by authorities to avoid management of judicial proceedings in any nation, which additional underlines the ridiculous nature of the case towards Jimmy Lai and the appalling erosion of press freedom and the rule of regulation in Hong Kong emphasised,” Vincentius stated.

“We demand a right away clarification from the Hong Kong Particular Administrative Area and a assure that our representatives can safely return to the territory to observe the rest of Lai’s trial, which can not happen in the dead of night. The world must know what is occurring in Hong Kong, which has implications for international press freedom.”

Hong Kong’s immigration division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Lai, the founding father of the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Day by day, has been on trial since February on expenses introduced underneath a sweeping nationwide safety regulation imposed by Beijing in 2020.

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The prosecution of the 76-year-old writer has been broadly condemned by rights teams as an indication of the town’s declining rights and freedoms underneath Beijing’s growing management over the previous British colony.

Hong Kong final month handed extra nationwide safety laws concentrating on vaguely outlined crimes akin to treason, rebel, espionage, sabotage and exterior interference, a transfer broadly anticipated to additional shrink the area for dissent.

Hong Kong, as soon as generally known as one of many freest media landscapes in Asia, has severely restricted the work of journalists in recent times.

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Along with Apple Day by day, pro-democracy shops Stand Information and Citizen’ Radio have been pressured to shut amid the nationwide safety crackdown.

Radio Free Asia, which is partly funded by the US authorities, introduced the closure of its Hong Kong workplace final month, citing issues in regards to the security of its workers.

RSF’s 2023 Press Freedom Index ranks Hong Kong one hundred and fortieth out of 180 nations and territories, up from 73 in 2019.

Press freedom group says consultant denied entry to Hong Kong | Press Freedom Information

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