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France, in Reaction to Closure of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Says Attached to Press Freedom

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France, in Reaction to Closure of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Says Attached to Press Freedom
A man takes a photo of his copy of the Apple Daily newspaper after it looked set to close for good by Saturday following police raids and the arrest of executives in Hong Kong, on June 22, 2021. (Tyrone Siu/File/Reuters)
Reuters
6/23/2021
Updated:
6/23/2021

PARIS—France is attached to the freedom and plurality of the press, government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters on Wednesday, when asked about Hong Kong pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily’s decision to print its last edition later this week.

A worker packs copies of the Apple Daily newspaper at the printing house in Hong Kong, on June 18, 2021. (Kin Cheung/AP Photo)
A worker packs copies of the Apple Daily newspaper at the printing house in Hong Kong, on June 18, 2021. (Kin Cheung/AP Photo)

Apple Daily will print its last edition on June 24, after a stormy year in which it was raided by police and its tycoon owner and other staff were arrested under a new national security law.

Chief Operations Officer Chow Tat Kuen (front 2nd-R) is escorted by police from the Apple Daily newspaper offices before being put into a waiting vehicle in Hong Kong, on June 17, 2021. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)
Chief Operations Officer Chow Tat Kuen (front 2nd-R) is escorted by police from the Apple Daily newspaper offices before being put into a waiting vehicle in Hong Kong, on June 17, 2021. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

The end of the popular 26-year-old tabloid, which mixes pro-democracy discourse with racy celebrity gossip and investigations of those in power, has raised alarm over media freedom and other rights in the Chinese-ruled city.