Hong Kong police raid independent bookstores, arrest five over alleged seditious publications

Hong Kong's national security police raided two independent bookstores in the Mong Kok district on 15 July 2026 and arrested five people on suspicion of selling publications allegedly containing seditious content, in the latest crackdown on independent booksellers under the city's national security laws.

Videos and photographs published by multiple media outlets showed officers wearing police vests removing boxes from Have A Nice Stay, an independent bookstore founded by former journalists.

A similar operation took place nearby at Greenfield Book Store, where boxes were also removed from the premises, according to footage published by online news outlet The Collective.

Local media, citing unnamed sources, reported that officers searched the shop at about the same time.

Police cite alleged seditious publications

In a statement, the National Security Department (NSD) of the Hong Kong Police Force said the operation followed a referral from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department after authorities intercepted a shipment of books from overseas that allegedly contained material with "seditious intention".

Police said officers searched two bookstores and arrested two men, aged 37 and 57, and three women aged between 30 and 59.

The five were suspected of contravening Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance by "doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention".

According to police, investigations found the suspects had displayed and sold publications allegedly containing seditious content.

"The contents of these publications involved inciting hatred against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies," the statement said.

Police said a batch of allegedly seditious books had been seized and the five suspects remained in custody for investigation.

Authorities added that the offence carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment upon a first conviction and urged the public not to break the law.

Independent bookstores targeted

Ming Pao reported that plainclothes officers carried plastic containers and cardboard boxes into Have A Nice Stay at around 1pm before removing materials from the premises.

People attempting to enter the shop were reportedly turned away by officers.

The Collective also reported that a representative from a publishing company who arrived to deliver books had their identification details recorded by police.

The operation marks the third round of arrests involving independent bookstores after similar police actions in March and June, both linked to allegations of selling seditious publications.

Bookstore had announced closure

Have A Nice Stay had already announced it would permanently close on 30 August, citing financial pressures and uncertainty over what publications remained lawful to distribute.

In a statement posted a day before the raid, the bookstore said "unclear red lines" surrounding the national security laws had contributed to its decision.

"The unclear red lines are certainly part of the reason," the bookstore said, adding that authorities had never specified which books could legally be sold.

Founded in 2022 by a group of former journalists, Have A Nice Stay specialised in books covering media literacy, democratic development and authoritarianism, while also selling publications and merchandise produced by local journalists and media organisations.

Co-founder Sum Wan-wah told AFP in 2023 that the bookstore provided a "precious" space for Hong Kong's civil society because "we don't have many groups and venues left".

Meanwhile, another independent bookstore, Elmbook, announced last week that it would close its physical shop.

The announcement followed reports that both Elmbook and Luck Win Bookshop had been barred from participating in the annual Hong Kong Book Fair, which opened on 15 July 2026.

Rights groups criticise latest crackdown

The latest police operation drew criticism from international press freedom and human rights organisations.

Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the arrests demonstrated "what the Chinese government fears most: free thinking".

"The targeting and arrests of booksellers in Hong Kong expose what the Chinese government fears most: free thinking," Uluyol said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists also condemned the raids.

Asia-Pacific director Beh Lih Yi urged authorities to "stop treating publishing activities as threats to national security", adding that Hong Kong was "turning itself into an international joke" by targeting booksellers on the same day one of Asia's largest book fairs opened.

Publishing landscape transformed

Hong Kong was once widely recognised for its freedom of publication, with readers from mainland China travelling to the city to buy politically sensitive books unavailable across the border.

Following the 2019 anti-government protests and the introduction of national security legislation, independent booksellers have faced increasing legal scrutiny.

Authorities have consistently maintained that the national security laws are necessary to safeguard stability and public order.

Security Secretary Chris Tang has previously said the government would not compile a list of banned books, arguing that such an approach would be impractical.

The latest arrests follow the June detention of Hunter Bookstore owner Letitia Wong and her husband over allegations of selling seditious publications and receiving remittances from foreign political organisations.

In March, police also arrested the owner and staff of Book Punch on similar allegations. Those arrested in the earlier operations were later released on bail.

The case also recalls the international attention surrounding Causeway Bay Books.

Its owner, Lam Wing-kee, revealed in 2016 that he had been detained by Chinese authorities after crossing into Shenzhen, while four colleagues disappeared in late 2015, raising widespread concern over freedom of expression in Hong Kong.