Lam Man-chung started his journalism career in 1992 and had written for major news outlets in the city, such as Ming Pao, CableTV, and Hong Kong Economic Times. He is the former executive editor-in-chief of Apple Daily, a subsidiary of the media company Next Digital Limited from 1995 to 2021.

Lam was arrested on July 21, 2021, at his home in Sai Kung Town on suspicion of “colluding with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security,” a crime under Hong Kong’s national security law.

A month prior, on June 16, 2021, Hong Kong Police arrested five Apple Daily executives. 500 police officers raided Next Digital’s headquarters with a search warrant. Police searched news materials and evidence for a suspected violation of the National Security Law. Three of them, Chan Pui Man, Royston Chow, and Cheung Chi-wai were released on bail on June 18, after 40 hours of detention. However, on the day of Lam’s arrest, police revoked their bails and rearrested the three.

Another two executives––Apple Daily’s Executive Editor-in-Chief Lam Man-chung and Managing Editor of its English edition Fung Wai-kong––in the same case were arrested on later dates. [1]

Prosecutors accused Lai, the six executives, and three Next Digital subsidiaries––Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and AD Internet Limited––of endangering national security by engaging with foreign countries, institutions, organizations, or individuals overseas in hostile activities against Hong Kong or China.

On Nov. 22, 2022, the six pled guilty to the collusion charge. Prosecutors agreed not to pursue the sedition charge, however the charge remains on the court file indefinitely. Mitigation submissions and sentencing of the six will be handled after Lai’s trial.