MEDIA RESTRICTIONS Despite setting up an inter-departmental Apple Daily, the only pro-democracy daily working group on gender recognition in 2014 newspaper in Hong Kong, was forced to and carrying out a consultation in 2017, the cease operation on 24 June after police Hong Kong government made no progress arrested the paper’s founder Jimmy Lai, five towards drafting a gender-recognition law. senior executives and two editorial staff under The Taiwan Gay Sports and Movement the NSL. Police accused the newspaper of Association decided to not send any teams to “colluding with foreign forces” by publishing join the Gay Games to be held in Hong Kong articles relating to sanctions imposed on in 2023 because of the risks posed by the Chinese and Hong Kong government officials NSL. by foreign governments. The authorities subsequently froze HK$18 million (US$2.32 1. China: Further Information: Transferred 1,000km from family, million) of assets owned by companies linked medical care needed: Yu Wensheng (Index: ASA 17/3729/2021), 22 to Apple Daily. On 29 December, senior February executives and board members of Stand 2. China: Further Information: Prominent Legal Scholar Indicted for News were arrested for “seditious Subversion – Xu Zhiyong (Index: ASA 17/4912/2021), 24 October publications”, an archaic colonial-era 3. China: Activist detained for reporting torture: Li Qiaochu (Index: ASA provision last amended in the 1970s. 17/3784/2021), 4 March National security police officers raided the 4. China: Activist on Hunger Strike After Travel Ban – Yang Maodong online news outlet and authorities confirmed (Index: ASA 17/3599/2021), 1 February that they froze more than HK$61 million 5. China: Further Information: Lawyer Faces Charges for Reporting (approximately US$7.8 million) in assets. Torture – Chang Weiping (Index: ASA 17/4023/2021), 28 April Stand News ceased operation on the same 6. China: "Like We Were Enemies in a War”: China’s Mass Internment, day. Torture and Persecution of Muslims in Xinjiang (Index: ASA 17/4137/2021), 10 June The government heavily restructured public 7. China: Further Information: Uyghur Held in Solitary Confinement for broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong Two Years – Ekpar Asat (Index: ASA 17/4022/2021), 26 April (RTHK), removing all the videos in its online 8. China: Further Information: Uyghur Again Detained Incommunicado – archive, dismissing hosts who were critical of Mahira Yakub (Index: ASA 17/3491/2021), 7 January the government, and cancelling shows that 9. Hong Kong: In the Name of National Security (Index: ASA did not follow official lines. 17/4197/2021), 29 June LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS 10. “Amnesty International to close its Hong Kong offices”, 25 October The government failed to grant same-sex couples in Hong Kong equal rights and continued to recognize same-sex partnership COLOMBIA rights in a piecemeal manner. In March, a gay widower filed a judicial review against the Republic of Colombia government after he was not recognized as Head of state and government: Iván Duque Márquez the next-of-kin of his late husband, preventing him from identifying his spouse’s Crimes under international law and human body or making funeral arrangements. He rights violations in the context of the later withdrew the legal challenge as the ongoing armed conflict increased in the government clarified that there was no departments of Chocó, Cauca, Valle del distinction between same-sex couples and Cauca, Nariño and Norte de Santander. heterosexual couples in policies related to Eight children were killed by the security such matters. In June the High Court ruled forces targeting the armed groups the that the subsidized housing policy constitutes Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia discrimination on grounds of sexual (FARC-EP) and the National Liberation orientation, and that same-sex couples Army (ELN) in Chocó, Guaviare, and should be allowed to own subsidized Caquetá departments. Killings of former housing. FARC-EP combatants increased. At least Amnesty International Report 2021/22 130