Lam comments on US response to Apple Daily arrests

Carrie Lam fired back at the US government's response to the arrest of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily's board of directors on Tuesday.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the arrest of five executives of Apple Daily last week, claiming that such an act is "politically motivated".

Lam said that the law was not used as a tool to suppress the media and all US accusations were wrong.

Police last week arrested five top editors and executives of Apple Daily under the city's tough national security law on suspicion of foreign collusion, searched its offices and froze $2.3 million worth of assets of three companies linked to the newspaper.

The arrests came as Hong Kong authorities cracked down on dissenting voices as Beijing tightens control over the territory.

Apple Daily has been outspoken in defending Hong Kong's freedoms, and in recent years has often criticized the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for limiting the city's democratic freedoms as well as constricting the rights of free speech and assembly not found on mainland China.

Image: AP