Hong Kong booksellers arrested for allegedly selling seditious books
Hong Kong authorities have arrested five individuals from two independent bookstores on suspicion of selling seditious materials. This action marks the third wave of such arrests, reflecting an ongoing crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression in the region.
Why it matters
The arrests highlight the shrinking space for independent media and political expression in Hong Kong under the 2024 national security law.
HONG KONG — Hong Kong authorities have raided two bookstores and arrested five people on suspicion of selling allegedly seditious publications, local media reported Wednesday, in the latest step targeting independent booksellers.
Videos and photos from multiple media outlets showed officers wearing vests marked with "Police" seizing boxes from the building housing Have A Nice Stay, a bookshop founded by former journalists. A bookseller was seen being taken away.
A few streets away a similar scene played out, with boxes taken from the building housing Greenfield Book Store, according to a video by online news outlet The Collective.
Police later said they raided two stores in Mong Kok district, without identifying them. They arrested two men and three women on suspicion of breaching the 2024 national security law, according to their statement.
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