Hong Kong Free Press journalist denied visa amid fears for media freedom

Irish journalist Aaron McNicholas's visa was rejected in what's believed to the first such case at a local title

After months of reassurance that Beijing's national security law would not affect Hong Kong's free press, the government has denied a visa to local media outlet, the Hong Kong Free Press.

The English-language outlet had sought to employ a new editor, Aaron Mc Nicholas, an Irish journalist already based in Hong Kong. However the immigration department rejected an application to transfer his work visa after an almost six-month wait, without giving an official reason.