Overview
- Police from the National Security Department and customs officers searched Have A Nice Stay and Greenfield Book Store on Wednesday, seizing boxes of books and leading at least one person from Have A Nice Stay in handcuffs.
- Authorities say the raids target suspected sales of publications with a “seditious intention,” an offence added to Hong Kong law in 2024 that can carry sentences of up to seven years in prison.
- Have A Nice Stay had announced on Tuesday that it would close on August 30, citing a deteriorating social environment and financial strain linked to legal uncertainty.
- The July 15 operations are the latest in a pattern this year that included March arrests at Book Punch and June detentions at Hunter bookstore, and they have left other independent sellers increasingly cautious.
- Booksellers and former journalists say the raids shrink community spaces for discussion and learning, and customs scrutiny of overseas shipments suggests future seizures and legal risks for stores that import politically sensitive titles.