Photographer who took a picture of Jimmy Lai in prison turned away even as a tourist

Hong Kong authorities had previously denied a work permit to Louise Delmotte, a French photographer working for the Associated Press. Last year she took a picture of the Catholic businessman and pro-democracy activist in handcuffs. The Immigration Department, which now requires flight operators to send information on arriving passengers, has not provided an official explanation.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Louise Delmotte, a French journalist with the Associated Press, has been denied a tourist visa to enter Hong Kong because of a photo she took of Jimmy Lai in handcuffs in August 2023.

For the first time, this kind of image showed the world the conditions of detention of the Catholic businessman and pro-democracy activist, who has been held in a maximum security prison since 2020 on charges of violating the laws imposed by Beijing and is still on trial.

At the start of the year, Hong Kong authorities had refused to renew Delmotte’s work visa. On 14 September, the photojournalist tried to return to Hong Kong as a tourist, but, without explanation, she was denied entry and sent back to France after a few hours.

“Louise Delmotte is a talented journalist and we are proud of the important work she has done in Hong Kong for the Associated Press," the news agency told the Hong Kong Free Press. “AP continues to have a presence in Hong Kong and is working with Louise on next steps,” it added.

In her work, Delmotte covered the impact of extreme heat on less affluent Hong Kong residents and the effects of lockdown policies during the pandemic.

French nationals, like travellers from various countries in Europe and Asia, are allowed to visit Hong Kong for up to 90 days without a visa. The French consulate has been "in touch" with local authorities about the incident, the HKFP added.

However, Hong Kong’s Immigration Department, which implemented a new system in early September to get advance information about passengers about to arrive in the city, yesterday said that it would not make statements on individual cases, adding that it had acted in accordance with established policy and laws.

At a weekly media briefing, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee tried to avoid answering questions about the Delmotte case, only responding to a question shouted by a journalist at the end of the meeting.

Lee said that each episode will be evaluated individually according to current laws. “We are doing it in no way different from other jurisdictions,” Lee explained.

This is not the first time that Hong Kong has denied entry to foreign journalists, scholars and activists who are disliked by Beijing for their stand on certain issues, like Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, and Tibetan independence.

However, entry restrictions could become even more stringent after the Immigration Department implemented a new system that requires all aircraft operators to share in advance data on flights and passengers to Hong Kong "to prevent undesirables, including potential non-refoulement claimants, from boarding flights heading to Hong Kong”.

• hong kong
• china
• beijing
• national security law
• jimmy lay
• prison
• trial
• picture
• ap
• photojournalist
• louse delmotte
• france
• repression
• tibet
• pro-democracy movement