(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong denied access to a French photojournalist who sought to enter the financial hub as a visitor, adding to a string of cases likely to amplify concerns over the city’s press freedoms.
The refusal this month followed a decision by authorities to reject the same journalist’s application for visa renewal earlier this year, Mingpao reported, without citing its sources.
The French national, who works for the Associated Press, is the latest foreigner turned back at the border in Hong Kong, a self-administered Chinese territory that’s seeking to bolster its image as an international hub. Earlier this year, officials also denied entry to a vacationing German activist and, separately, a staffer from Reporters Without Borders who was visiting the city to monitor the trial of former media mogul Jimmy Lai.
“Louise Delmotte is a talented journalist and we are proud of the important work she has done in Hong Kong for The Associated Press,” a spokesperson for the news agency said. “AP continues to have a presence in Hong Kong and is working with Louise on next steps,” the person added, noting the publication hadn’t been given a reason for the denial.
The French journalist is known for taking photos of Lai in prison last year from outside the facility.
The rare images captured him during the 50 minutes of exercise he was reportedly allowed outside each day during the hot summer months. The ex-media mogul was seen in what appeared to be a 5-by-10-meter (16-by-30-foot) enclosure surrounded by barbed wire.
Lai, the former founder of the now defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, is one of the highest-profile figures ensnared in a series of national security cases in the city.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department said it doesn’t comment on individual cases and “acts in accordance with the laws and policies.” Chief Executive John Lee declined to provide details on the case during a regular press briefing Tuesday, adding that authorities grant visas on a case-by-case basis.
Lai is accused of conspiring to collude with foreign forces to sanction China and the former British colony — charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. He’s expected to take the stand when his trial resumes in November.
Opportunities to photograph the 76-year-old have been extremely limited in recent years as recording equipment is banned in court.
Hong Kong is facing criticism from Western governments over waning freedoms after a sweeping political crackdown on protests in 2019. Last month, a court found two former editors guilty for publishing articles about pro-democracy activists that were deemed seditious, convicting journalists of sedition charges for the first time in decades.
Officials from the US, European Union, Australia and the UK have raised concerns over the conviction. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said the ruling “signifies justice being firmly upheld,” noting that claims that characterize the verdict as “‘suppressing’ freedom of the press are utterly unfounded.”
--With assistance from Alan Wong.
(Updates with comments from Chief Executive John Lee.)
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.