A Polish national working with Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international organization dedicated to promoting global press freedom, was expelled from Hong Kong after being held at the airport for six hours.
According to a statement released by RSF on Wednesday, Aleksandra Bielakowska was intended to join Cedric Alviani, the director of RSF’s Asia-Pacific Bureau, and other journalists to observe the trial of Jimmy Lai, a prominent media mogul and the founder of the independent Apple Daily newspaper. The publication is renowned for its critical stance towards the communist authorities in Beijing.
Lai is currently facing charges of threatening national security and could potentially be sentenced to life in prison.
In an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Bielakowska said that the immigration officers provided no clear reason for her deportation. However, they “extensively examined my documents and inquired about the purpose of my visit.”
“They searched me three times, my belongings twice, and then me once again, then they moved me from room to room and all of this lasted a total of six hours,” se continued
“Finally, they handed me some documents to sign and told me that I would be deported immediately,” Bielakowska concluded.
Rebecca Vincent, the Campaign Director of RSF, said in the announcement that this action was unparalleled, as she was merely fulfilling her duties.
The detention on Wednesday highlights the extent to which the Hong Kong government is apprehensive of NGO workers and activists striving to shed light on the oppressive environment prevailing in a region that was previously known for its stable press freedom, Bielakowska was quoted as saying in the statement.
Lai is currently facing charges of threatening national security and could potentially be sentenced to life in prison.
In an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Bielakowska said that the immigration officers provided no clear reason for her deportation. However, they “extensively examined my documents and inquired about the purpose of my visit.”
“They searched me three times, my belongings twice, and then me once again, then they moved me from room to room and all of this lasted a total of six hours,” se continued
“Finally, they handed me some documents to sign and told me that I would be deported immediately,” Bielakowska concluded.
Rebecca Vincent, the Campaign Director of RSF, said in the announcement that this action was unparalleled, as she was merely fulfilling her duties.
The detention on Wednesday highlights the extent to which the Hong Kong government is apprehensive of NGO workers and activists striving to shed light on the oppressive environment prevailing in a region that was previously known for its stable press freedom, Bielakowska was quoted as saying in the statement.
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