Citizen News, an independent Hong Kong news site, has declared its closure to “guard the safety of everyone.” The announcement comes only days after the city’s national security police raided another independent online news organisation on suspicion of sedition.
CNN reports that the news organisation declared late Sunday that it would close on Tuesday, citing the city’s deteriorating media environment and the need to protect its employees.
“Unfortunately, major changes in our society over the last two years, as well as the deteriorating media environment, have made it impossible for us to realise our mission without worry,” the news organisation said on Facebook, explaining that the decision was made to protect everyone involved’s safety.
“In the midst of a looming storm, we found ourselves in a perilous situation. In the event of a disaster, we must safeguard the safety and well-being of everyone on board “According to CNN, a Facebook post continued.
Following the closures of Apple Daily in June and Stand News last Wednesday, Citizen News was the largest remaining independent news organisation in Hong Kong, according to CNN.
The arrests and raid on the headquarters of the now-defunct news organisation Stand News drew censure from the United Nations, the European Union, and other countries such as the United States, Germany, and Canada on December 29, 2021.
Seven people connected to a seven-year-old pro-democracy digital news outlet were arrested by national security police on suspicion of conspiring to publish seditious materials, including its top editor, former editor-in-chief, his wife, and four former directors, according to the Hong Kong Free Press .
Crackdowns on press organisations and pro-democracy activists have been more severe in recent months. Authorities took similar moves in June 2021, according to Apple Daily. It was later turned off.
In June, shortly after the raid on Apple Daily’s newsroom, Stand News removed all opinion pieces from their website. Donations were also halted after six of the board’s eight members resigned.
