Five arrested after Hong Kong police raid independent bookshops
Hong Kong police have arrested five individuals for selling books deemed seditious, marking a continued crackdown on independent bookstores. The raids target shops stocking literature on democracy and media literacy, raising concerns about freedom of expression.
Why it matters
The arrests reflect the tightening of political control in Hong Kong and the shrinking space for independent thought and dissent.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Officers were seen loading confiscated items into the back of a van
Five people suspected of selling and displaying books deemed "seditious" in Hong Kong have been arrested after police raided two independent bookshops.
Authorities said the publications incited "hatred" against the territory's government, judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Officers seized books from both shops, the government said in a statement.
The group - two men aged 37 and 57, and three women aged between 30 and 59 - are suspected of violating national security legislation by "acting with seditious intent".
They are currently being held for investigation. If convicted, they could face up to seven years in prison.
Officials did not name the businesses raided by police. Reporters from the AFP news agency saw officers leading a woman in handcuffs the Have A Nice Stay bookshop into a van.
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