Jimmy Lai's Apple Daily to fold up after Hong Kong arrests dissidents

The board on Monday said it would close the newspaper's operations by Saturday if Hong Kong authorities continued to block access to company's bank accounts following arrests of senior editors.

The board of Next Digital Ltd, which owns Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, announced Wednesday that the pro-democracy newspaper would close on June 26.

“The Company thanks our readers for their loyal support and our journalists, staff and advertisers for their commitment over the past 26 years,” it said.

The board on Monday had said it would close the newspaper’s operations by Saturday if Hong Kong authorities continued to block access to the company’s bank accounts following the arrests of senior editors and executives.

The paper, owned by now-jailed media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, has faced intense pressure from the government. Authorities last week arrested the paper’s three top editors and two Next Digital executives as 500 police officers descended on the company’s Hong Kong offices.

Earlier on Wednesday, police arrested a 55-year-old man for allegedly colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. While the police statement didn’t mention any names or publications, local media including the Oriental Daily reported the man is an Apple Daily columnist who writes social commentary under the name Li Ping.

After the arrest on Wednesday, newsroom staff were growing increasingly frightened because Li wasn’t considered the most outspoken columnist, according to three Apple Daily reporters who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the police operation. Some newspaper staff were being advised to leave the office after the arrest, the people said, with some newsroom managers evacuating reporters.