European Parliament condemns closure of Apple Daily, urges Hong Kong authorities to release all detained journalists
歐洲議會7月8日通過一項緊急決議，譴責《蘋果日報》被迫停刊，並敦促港府立即釋放所有在香港遭到拘留的記者。當地新聞自由受到的鎮壓不斷升級，此項決議猶如及時雨，無國界記者組織（RSF）對此表示讚揚。
2021年7月8日，歐洲議會以壓倒性多數通過了緊急決議，針對香港最後一家批評北京政權的中文平面媒體《蘋果日報》被迫停刊一事及香港新聞自由迅速惡化的情形發出譴責。歐洲議會還呼籲香港政府立即無條件釋放所有記者，並撤銷對他們的指控。
無國界記者東亞辦事處執行長艾瑋昂表示：“在處理香港新聞自由遭到戕害的問題上，歐洲議會此項決議邁出重要的一步，但現在最重要的是所有民主國家政府和其他國際組織加入發聲的行列，一同反抗中國政權領導的鎮壓運動。”
歐洲議會在決議中表示“對所有香港記者發出最堅定的聲援，盡管《國家安全法》已經生效，他們仍繼續大力捍衛媒體自由和獨立新聞報導，持續追蹤各項事件的戲劇性變化。”歐洲議會也呼籲香港政府“停止所有對記者的司法騷擾和恐嚇。”
2020年6月30日，北京政權通過《國家安全法》，允許當局以看似合法的手段打壓任何其視為“恐怖活動”、“分裂國家”、“顛覆國家政權”或“勾結外國勢力”的行為。一年後，至少有 10 名記者和新聞自由捍衛者根據該法被捕並面臨無期徒刑。目前仍遭到拘留的五人包括《蘋果日報》創辦人暨2020年無國界記者新聞自由獎得主黎智英。
無國界記者組織近日已向聯合國發出兩項呼籲，敦促聯合國“采取一切必要措施”維護香港的新聞自由，並促成《蘋果日報》創辦人黎智英立即獲釋。
香港過去曾經是新聞自由的堡壘，在RSF世界新聞自由指數從2002年的第 18 名下跌到2021年的第80名。中華人民共和國在180個國家中排名第177。
轉載自RSF記者無國界網站
European Parliament condemns closure of Apple Daily, urges Hong Kong authorities to release all detained journalists
In an urgent resolution adopted on 8th of July, the European Parliament condemned the forced closure of Apple Daily newspaper and urged for the immediate release of all detained journalists in Hong Kong. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) commends this much-needed resolution addressing the escalating crackdown on press freedom in the territory.
On the 8th of July, 2021, the European Parliament adopted with a landslide majority (578 out of 680 present Members of the European Parliament voting in favour) urgent resolution denouncing the closure of Apple Daily, the last Chinese-language print media critical of the Beijing regime, and the rapid deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong. The European Parliament also called on the Hong Kong government to immediately and unconditionally release and drop charges against all journalists.
“This European Parliament resolution is an important step in addressing press freedom abuse in Hong Kong, but it is now paramount that all democratic governments and other international organisations join their voices in protest against the repressive campaign led by the Chinese regime,” said RSF East Asia bureau head, Cédric Alviani.
In the resolution, the European Parliament expressed its “strongest solidarity with all Hong Kong journalists who, despite the entry into force of the National Security Law, have continued to strenuously defend media freedom and independent journalism and to keep reporting about the dramatic evolution of events” and called on the Hong Kong government “to end all legal harassment and all intimidation directed at journalists.”
On the 30th of June, 2020, the Beijing regime adopted a National Security Law that allows the suppression, with the appearance of legality, of anything it deems to be “terrorism”, “secession”, “subversion” or “collusion with foreign forces”. A year later, at least ten journalists and press freedom defenders have been arrested under this law and are facing life sentences. Five of them are still detained including Apple Daily founder and 2020 RSF Press Freedom Awards laureate Jimmy Lai.
Recently, RSF submitted two appeals urging the United Nations to “take all necessary measures” to safeguard press freedom in Hong Kong and obtain the immediate release of the Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai.
Hong Kong, once a bastion of press freedom, has fallen from 18th place in 2002 to 80th place in the 2021 RSF World Press Freedom Index . The People’s Republic of China, for its part, ranks 177th out of 180.
Original source: Website of RSF.org
