[1] In the morning on 10 August 2020, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested founder of Next Digital Jimmy Lai.

Four senior management staff of the company, CEO Cheung Kim-hung, CFO Royston Chow Tat-kuen, Administrative Director Wong Wai-keung, and Animation Director Ng Tat-kwong, were arrested on suspicion on conspiracy to commit fraud,[2] while Chow was also with the suspicion of collusion with foreign forces under the National Security Law.

[3] Nearly 200 police cordoned, raided, and searched the headquarters of Next Digital and Apple Daily in Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate at 10 am after making arrests.

[4] Ryan Law Wai-kwong, editor-in-Chief of Apple Daily, asked the cops to show the search warrant issued by the court.

[citation needed] The administrative Department of Apple Daily called the staff not to come to work due to unexpected situations.

Chan Pui-man, Associate Publisher of Apple Daily, and Law insisted to monitor the raid and argued that the search warrant did not cover the news material, which was echoed by Steve Li Kwai-wah from the National Security Department,[7] although the police took away the materials and threatened to arrest two with suspicion of obstructing police officers.

[15] On the same day, Hong Kong police also arrested three activists: Agnes Chow,[16] Wilson Li Chung-chak and Andy Li Yu-hin, and sent three officers with a court order to the Hong Kong office of The Nikkei who ran an advert paid for by pro-democracy activists in 2019.

[47] In the morning on 17 June 2021, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested five Next Digital executives.

The 5 persons, including 4 men and 1 woman, aged between 47 and 63, were suspected of violating Article 29 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces.

Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department explained the incident at 11 a.m., said that more than 500 police forces were used in the operation this morning.

[52] On 21 June, Apple Daily announced it would have to close unless the accounts were unfrozen, as it was unable to pay its staff or support operating costs.

[74] Activists backed up the news articles from Apple Daily on various blockchain platforms to ensure the content was available and free from Chinese censorship.

[75] On the next day after the raid, Apple Daily editor-in-chief Ryan Law and CEO Cheung Kim-hung were charged for colluding with foreign forces, and they both remanded in prison.

[76] Apple Daily editorialist "Li Ping" (Yeung Ching-kee) was arrested on 23 June “on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security”,[77][78] Fung Wai-kong, editor-in-chief of the English news section at Apple Daily, was arrested on 27 June at Hong Kong International Airport while attempting to flee the city.

[77][79] On 21 July, former executive director of now-closed Apple Daily, Lam Man-chung, was arrested for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces.

[80] On 22 July, the remaining four executives, Chan Pui-man, Lam Man-chung, Fung Wai-kwong and Yeung Ching-kee, were all charged for conspiracy to colluding with foreign forces.

[81] In November 2022, more than a year after arrest, six former senior executives of the Apple Daily newspaper, Cheung Kim-hung, Ryan Law, Chan Pui-man, Lam Man-chung, Fung Wai-kong, and Yeung Ching-kee, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit collusion .

[88] The prospect of asking the Chinese authorities to "interpret" the national security law was also increasingly imminent as Beijing loyalists stepped up pressure, describing as the only way to do so if the court ruled in favour of Lai.

[89] In September 2022, the HKBA opposed an attempt by Jimmy Lai to hire a lawyer from the UK, stating "the well established criteria for admitting overseas counsel on an ad hoc basis are not met.

[86] In November 2022, the government lost its case in the Court of Final Appeal, paving the way for Lai to hire Tim Owen.

[97][98] Hong Kong's High Court then adjourned the national security trial of Lai in December to September 2023, acknowledging Beijing has yet to determine whether he can be defended by an overseas lawyer of his choice.

[99] Hong Kong Immigration Department, on the other hand, had withheld Owen’s application for an extension of his work visa.

[100] On Monday 12 August 2024, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal upheld the conviction of Lai and six other defendants for taking part in an unauthorised procession in 2019, thereby sparking an international furore as to whether foreign judges, in particular Lord Neuberger (former President of the UK Supreme Court) should continue their presence in the Hong Kong judicial system.

[101] Lai was in any case being held in prison serving a five-year sentence for lease terms violations and also pending national security charges.