Journalist Arrested For Alleged Sedition: Sources

Veteran journalist Allan Au was arrested by national security police on Monday morning for alleged sedition, RTHK has learnt.

He was reportedly taken to Kwai Chung police station.

In a statement, police said officers from the national security department arrested a man, 54, in Kwai Chung, on Monday, without identifying the suspect in question.

The force said the man was arrested for conspiracy to publish seditious publication, contravening the Crimes Ordinance.

The statement also said the suspect has been detained for further enquiries, and that further arrests could be made.

Asked about the case in her daily Covid briefing on Monday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she’s not in a position to comment, but reiterated that press freedom and freedom of speech are safeguarded in the Basic Law.

Lam also said according to the national security law, freedoms guaranteed in the city’s mini-constitution must be protected while national security must be safeguarded.

Asked about the case, former chief secretary and chief executive hopeful John Lee also said press freedom and freedom of speech are protected by the Basic Law.

He said he would not comment on details of the case because he's no longer with the government.

Au worked at local media outlets including TVB and RTHK, and wrote for various newspapers and online media as a columnist. He is currently a professional consultant at the School of Journalism and Communication at Chinese University.

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