Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested five people following raids on two independent bookstores, accusing them of displaying and selling publications deemed to have “seditious intention” under the city’s national security laws.
Officers arrested two men and three women after searching the independent bookstores Have A Nice Stay and Greenfield Bookstore in the Mong Kok district. Authorities said the operation followed a referral from Hong Kong’s customs department after officials intercepted a shipment of books from overseas that allegedly contained seditious publications.
Police said the seized books included material that allegedly incited hatred against the Hong Kong government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. The five suspects are being investigated on suspicion of committing acts with seditious intent under the territory’s national security legislation.
The raids mark the latest crackdown on Hong Kong’s shrinking independent bookstore sector since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 following the city’s pro-democracy protests. Many independent bookstores, which have traditionally stocked political and social titles unavailable in mainstream outlets, have either closed or faced increasing legal scrutiny.
One of the targeted bookstores, Have A Nice Stay, had announced plans to close before the police operation, citing financial pressures and uncertainty over what publications could be considered in violation of national security laws. Rights groups have argued that the arrests further restrict freedom of expression and publishing in Hong Kong, while authorities maintain that the legislation is necessary to safeguard national security and public order.
The case has drawn international attention as concerns continue over the impact of Hong Kong’s national security framework on civil liberties, independent media and cultural institutions.
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