(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is concerned over reports that police in Shantou briefly detained twenty Hong Kong journalists who were attempting to cover an ongoing murder trial. The twenty reporters and photographers were among a large group of journalists from Hong Kong who were in Shantou to cover the trial of Li Yuhui on Monday. Li’s […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is concerned over reports that police in Shantou
briefly detained twenty Hong Kong journalists who were attempting to
cover an ongoing murder trial.
The twenty reporters and photographers were among a large group of
journalists from Hong Kong who were in Shantou to cover the trial of Li
Yuhui on Monday. Li’s trial has drawn intense media interest in Hong
Kong, because although he was arrested and charged in China, his alleged
crimes were committed in Hong Kong.
According to several Hong Kong newspapers, the journalists were arrested
today near a hairdressing salon run by the defendant’s wife and were
taken to a police station, where they were held for an hour for
questioning. “They [Police] said the citizens were not used to the
presence of so many non-local people,” one of the detained reporters
said. The police reportedly believed the journalists’ activities could
cause “panic” in the local population. The twenty journalists-all of
whom had received official accreditation to cover the trial and were
involved in news gathering activities at the time of the incident-were
later released and allowed to continue covering the trial.
CPJ is disturbed by the authorities’ interference with the work of these
journalists, because it points to the persistent refusal of Chinese
authorities to accept journalists’ right to gather and disseminate
information freely and without fear of reprisal.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the President:
the press covering the Li trial to work without restrictions or
harassment
Appeals To
Jiang Zemin
President, State Council
Beijing 100032
People’s Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 6512 5810
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
