Apple Daily: HK Firms Dissolved, Declared ‘Prohibited’ Under Security Law
Hong Kong authorities have formally dissolved three companies linked to the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, escalating a crackdown on the once-influential media outlet and its founder, Jimmy Lai. Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and AD Internet Limited were struck off the Companies Register on Tuesday, March 24, and are now designated as “prohibited organizations,” according to a government statement.
The move follows a court conviction in February that sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison on charges of endangering national security and conspiring to publish seditious materials. The three companies were each fined HK$3,004,500 as part of the same case, Hong Kong Free Press reported. The court determined that Lai, as the majority shareholder of Next Digital Limited – Apple Daily’s parent company – exerted significant control over the newspaper’s editorial direction, as outlined in the court’s reasoning.
The de-registration was carried out under Article 31 of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and section 360C(1) of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, the government confirmed. Anyone acting for or aiding these now-prohibited organizations faces a potential maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine of HK$1 million, citing Article 23 of the city’s national security law, as detailed by Hong Kong Free Press.
Apple Daily, founded in 1995, was a vocal critic of the Chinese government and a prominent voice for democracy in Hong Kong. The newspaper was forced to cease operations in June 2021 after a police raid on its headquarters led to the arrest of senior staff and the freezing of its assets, according to NHK World. Six former Apple Daily executives were subsequently jailed alongside Lai, with some, including Fung Wai-kong and Lam Man-chung, currently appealing their sentences.
The crackdown has drawn international criticism. United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk deplored Lai’s 20-year sentence, calling for its immediate quashing. Yet, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has defended the verdict, stating that Lai “deserves his punishment” for what he described as “heinous crimes,” Hong Kong Free Press reported. The government maintains that Lai used Apple Daily to publish seditious articles and solicit foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs.