Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said one of its representatives was denied entry into Hong Kong, where he intended to attend the trial of detained pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai.
According to the non-governmental organization, RSF representative Alexandra Belakovskaya, who lives in Taipei, was denied entry to Hong Kong International Airport, where she intended to “meet journalists and follow the hearings in the Jimmy Lai case.”
Belyakovskaya “was detained for six hours, searched and interrogated (…), and then expelled from the territory,” the text specifies.
This was the first time an RSF representative had been refused entry into the territory or detained upon arrival in Hong Kong.
RSF is “appalled by this unacceptable treatment,” the organization’s director, Rebecca Vincent, said in a statement.
“We have never witnessed such blatant attempts by the authorities to evade control of judicial proceedings,” he added.
The case of Lai, a British citizen, has drawn widespread international condemnation, but Beijing has classified the criticism as external interference.
Jimmy Lai’s trial, which began in late 2023 after more than 1,100 days in custody, is considered a barometer of political freedom and the independence of the former British colony’s judiciary.
On January 2, Lai pleaded not guilty to charges of “sedition” and “conspiracy.”
The charges against the founder of the now-shuttered popular Apple Daily newspaper stem from articles the paper published supporting pro-democracy demonstrations and criticizing Beijing’s leaders.
Jimmy Lai faces life in prison.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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