The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on the announcement of the closure of the Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily:
"The forced closure of the newspaper, Apple Daily, as a result of charges under the National Security Law for Hong Kong is a significant blow to freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong, and makes it clear that the powers under the National Security Law are being used as a tool to suppress media freedom and punish dissidents.
"These freedoms are universal human rights guaranteed under Hong Kong's Basic Law, and are in line with international standards.
"Canada is a steadfast supporter of the One Country, Two Systems principle and Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy. The ouster of a major media organization under the National Security Law significantly degrades these principles, guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration."
