Hong Kong national security police arrested five booksellers on July 16, 2026, on suspicion of doing an act with seditious intention. Authorities seized publications they claim incite hatred against the government, judiciary, and law enforcement after customs intercepted a shipment of books from overseas, according to Reuters.
The arrests targeted two shops in Mong Kok, located in the Kowloon district. Those detained include two men, aged 37 and 57, and three women between the ages of 30 and 59. Police stated that investigations revealed the suspects were displaying items with seditious intent and selling publications with seditious content inside the shops, as reported by Reuters.
Greenfield Bookstore and the ‘Elusive Red Line’
The South China Morning Post identified the targeted businesses as Greenfield Bookstore and ‘Have a Nice Stay.’ The latter shop announced its closure on August 30, citing financial losses and a struggle with an elusive red line regarding which books the government considers problematic.
This is not an isolated incident. In June, police arrested two other bookshop owners in a separate case involving the sale of publications with seditious content. These raids target an industry that has dwindled since Beijing implemented sweeping national security legislation in 2020, which curtailed the availability of political and social titles and the workshops that once supported civil society.
The Impact of the NSL and SNSO
The legal environment for dissent in Hong Kong has tightened through two primary mechanisms: the 2020 National Security Law (NSL) and the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), also known as Article 23. According to Civicus, these laws have been used to prosecute activists, critics, and journalists, while sedition charges have been brought against activists and critics to silence dissent.
Data provided by Amnesty International highlights the scale of these prosecutions. Between July 2020 and June 2025:
- 85 percent of cases prosecuted under national security-related legislation involved the legitimate right to freedom of expression.
- 89 percent of those cases resulted in the denial of bail.
- The average pretrial detention period lasted 11 months.
Civicus further notes that warrants have been issued against exiled pro-democracy activists and peaceful protesters have been convicted, with some remaining behind bars.
Pressure on Journalists and the Wang Fuk Court Fire
The crackdown extends beyond booksellers to the press. On May 29, 2026, the conviction of veteran journalist Ronson Chan for obstructing a police officer was upheld on appeal. Chan, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and former deputy assignment editor at the now-defunct Stand News, began serving a five-day prison sentence immediately. His initial arrest occurred in September 2022 while he was reporting on a homeowners’ meeting in Mong Kok for independent media Channel C, after he questioned a plainclothes police officer who alleged Chan was acting “suspiciously.”
Reporting freedom has also been hampered by alleged surveillance. Following the November 26, 2025, fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex—which killed at least 151 people and injured 79—journalists covering the subsequent public hearings in March 2026 reported harassment. Preliminary government investigations into the fire found that construction netting covering the eight buildings did not meet fire safety standards, leading to the arrest of 13 people linked to the maintenance company for manslaughter.
The independent media outlet InMedia reported in a blog post that reporters received harassing text messages and suspected they were being followed by unidentified individuals after covering the Wang Fuk Court fire independent committee public hearings beginning on March 19, 2026. InMedia filed two police reports regarding suspected stalking and harassment.
stalking aims to create a “chilling effect,” making “every reporter present aware they could be under surveillance at any time, thereby invisibly restricting reporting freedom.”
International and Human Rights Reactions
The arrests of the five booksellers have drawn immediate international criticism. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te used Facebook to emphasize that independent bookstores are important space for safeguarding thought and stated that “Thought and writing should not be imprisoned because of political pressure.” Lai expressed concern and respect for cultural workers who “continue to stand their ground in difficult circumstances.”
Human Rights Watch has also weighed in on the situation. Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at the organization, stated that democratic governments should press the Hong Kong authorities to free these booksellers, as noted by Reuters.
The current climate is characterized by a shrinking civic space, with the CIVICUS Monitor rating Hong Kong’s civic space as closed. This closure is marked by the cessation of operations for unions, opposition parties, and civil society groups, alongside the cancellation of LGBTQ events and suppression of peaceful criticism surrounding the 37th Tiananmen anniversary.
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