(Bloomberg) — A Reporters Without Borders representative was refused entry to the city after arriving to monitor the trial of former media mogul Jimmy Lai, the group said.
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Taipei-based Aleksandra Bielakowska was questioned and searched before being turned away on Wednesday, the international non-governmental organization said in a statement, adding it was the first time one of its representatives had been blocked from entering the financial hub.
The group said it wants an explanation for the episode and a guarantee its representatives can return to monitor the trial.
The city’s Immigration Department didn’t respond to request for comment before the start of business on Thursday.
Read More: Hong Kong’s No. 1 Security Target Jimmy Lai Goes on Trial
Lai’s trial on national security charges started last year and could see him spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. Hong Kong’s highest-profile case to date under the Beijing-imposed national security law is the culmination of President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on free speech in the city.
Lai, who has been denied bail, is essentially standing trial for acts of self-expression once openly permitted in the former British colony.
–With assistance from Sarah Zheng.
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