Representative of Reporters Without Borders Expelled for the First Time by HK Government After 6 Hours Detention at the Airport

On Dec. 18, 2023, during the trial of Jimmy Lai's case, Aleksandra Bielakowska (R2 standing) and Shataakshi Verma, the organization's Asia-Pacific Project Manager, lined up to enter the West Kowloon Court. File picture. Courtesy of Reporters Without Borders website

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) said that one of its representatives arrived in Hong Kong on April 10 and was detained at the Airport for six hours, being searched and interrogated, before being deported. The organization said this latest action by the Hong Kong authorities, unprecedented for them, marked a new decline in the already poor press freedom climate in the territory. The Hong Kong Journalists Association stated concern about the incident on April 11, urging the government to explain the reasons for denying entry to a member of the organization.

The RSF said that its Taipei-based Advocacy Officer, Aleksandra Bielakowska, was refused entry yesterday and quoted her as saying that the Hong Kong authorities repeatedly searched her and her belongings and finally deported her under a nebulous pretext. She believes this shows “how much the Hong Kong authorities fear NGO workers and human rights defenders who seek to report on the authoritarian climate that has taken hold in the territory that was once a bastion of press freedom.” The organization said her task was to monitor a hearing in the trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Media, on charges of contravening the National Security Law (NSL).

Accompanying Ms. Bielakowska was Cédric Alviani, RSF’s Asia Pacific Bureau Director. The latter entered Hong Kong without any problems but left the territory on his own on the same day.

RSF: Highlighting the Ludicrous Nature of Jimmy Lai’s Case

RSF stated that this is the first time that a representative of theirs has been refused entry or detained at the Hong Kong Airport. Rebecca Vincent, RSF Director of Campaigns, described that they are appalled by this unacceptable treatment of their member. She added that RSF has never experienced such blatant efforts by authorities to evade scrutiny of court proceedings in any country. She believes that this further highlights the ludicrous nature of the case against Jimmy Lai, and the dire erosion of press freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

The organization said that their representatives had successfully entered Hong Kong in June and December 2023 to monitor the trial of Jimmy Lai, and that Ms. Bielakowska had also been able to enter Hong Kong without any problems to monitor the opening of Jimmy Lai’s trial and meet with journalists and diplomats.

RSF specifically reiterated that Hong Kong ranked 140th out of 180 in its 2023 World Press Freedom Index, having plummeted from 18th in the past two decades. As for China, it ranked 179th.

Commenting on the incident, some Hong Kong netizens questioned whether Hong Kong, as an international city, welcomes people from other countries. Another person said sarcastically, “[That’s] what you should tell the story of Hong Kong.”

HKJA: Government Needs to Explain the Incident

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said in a statement that it is overly concerned about the detention and investigation of RSF reporters who came to Hong Kong and will continue to monitor the development of the situation. The HKJA believes that it is the normal duty of relevant organizations to pay attention to the situation of press freedom in Hong Kong, as well as important judicial cases. Jimmy Lai’s case involves major public interests and is a public hearing. It believes the court welcomes anyone to hear and report on the case. It does not see any reason for the Immigration Department to prevent this reporter from attending the court trial.

The HKJA emphasized that the government must explain the reasons for denying entry of people from RSF, otherwise, it will only give the public the impression that the government is targeting international organizations that come to Hong Kong as observers in Jimmy Lai’s case.

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