Authorities say the court has authorized police to seize more than 200 police officers, who have been mobilized to search online media headquarters and detainees’ homes in the Quan Tong district. An AFP journalist saw Patrick Lam, editor-in-chief of the publication, being handcuffed to the media office.

Just before dawn, Stand News reported live on Facebook that police were at the door of Deputy Editor Ronson Chan. Inn This short video, The second informs officials that he has a warrant from the court to investigate the crimes of treason publication. They ask Ronson Chan, who is also president of the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association, to stop filming. He was searched at his home but was not apprehended.

According to her Facebook page, Cantonese pop star Denise Hoe, who served on the board of directors of Stand News but resigned in June, was also arrested. According to local media reports, Margaret Ng, a lawyer and former member of the local Legislative Council, and Chung Pui-kun, a former editor of the Stand News, were also present. The other two arrested are former board members Chow Tat-chi and Christine Fang.

Stand News has been the target of sharp criticism from Hong Kong authorities in recent months. Chris Tang, the area’s security official, alleged that the information was leaked in early December. “Partisan, Defamatory and Satanic” About living conditions in prisons. “The Chinese Communist Party continues to file cases against journalists and the media who dare to oppose it and tell the truth.”, Nathan Low, an expatriate in the United Kingdom, tweeted.

While the focus of the human rights debate this year has been on the independent media, the CCP blames journalists and the media for daring to challenge them and speak the truth. Among many others, the arrests of Denise Ho and Margaret Ng are prime examples. Let them go!https://t.co/Sj6d4ZhOFE

– Nathan Law (athannathanlawkc) December 29, 2021

“Due to the current situation, Stand News will stop working immediately and stop updating its site and all its social networks.”The post was announced through his Facebook page. The outlet announced that it had fired all its employees and that its editor-in-chief Patrick Lam had resigned and that the site would be taken offline soon.

It is the second local newspaper company to fall into the hands of the authorities. In June, the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily It closed in July 2020 after freezing its assets and arresting its key leaders under a draconian new law on national security imposed by Beijing. “It went unnoticed for decades to suppress dissent.