Apple Daily: Hong Kong pro-democracy paper forced to shut down – BBC Newsnight

In a blow to media freedom, Apple Daily – Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy paper – has announced its closure. Please subscribe HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

The tabloid’s offices were raided last week over allegations that several reports had breached a controversial national security law.

Police detained the chief editor and five other executives, and company-linked assets were frozen.

The publication had become a leading critic of the Hong Kong and Chinese leadership.

The Apple Daily management said that "in view of staff members’ safety", it had decided "to cease operation immediately after midnight" – making Thursday’s publication the final printed edition.

The Hong Kong Free Press website reports that a million copies of Apple Daily will be printed on Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the paper’s closure was a "chilling blow to freedom of expression in Hong Kong".

The BBC’s Danny Vincent reports.

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