Hong Kong police raid two bookstores, arrest five people
Hong Kong police have arrested five people and raided two independent bookstores for allegedly selling seditious publications. The operation is part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent under the city's national security law.
Why it matters
The arrests underscore the shrinking space for free speech and independent media in Hong Kong under current security legislation.
Five booksellers have been arrested in Hong Kong over the sale of allegedly "seditious" publications. Two bookstores have become the latest target in a continued crackdown on independent bookshops
https://p.dw.com/p/5HBNH Police said five people — two men and three women — were arrested on suspicion of violating the 2024 national security law Advertisement Police in Hong Kong carried out raids on two bookshops, arresting five people under suspicion of displaying and selling seditious publications, reports said Wednesday.
The move marks a third round of arrests in a clampdown on independent bookstores, with similar operations conducted in March and June.
The raids are widely seen as an attempt to crush free speech and dissent under the semi-autonomous city's stringent national security law .
According to media reports, police raided Have A Nice Stay bookshop — founded by former journalists — and Greenfield Book Store.
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