State Department condemns attack on Epoch Times newspaper's Hong Kong printing facility

The State Department on Tuesday condemned the latest attack on The Epoch Times newspaper's Hong Kong printing press facility.

"We condemn the attack on the Epoch Times' printing plant and urge the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice," a department spokesperson said, according to the Epoch Times. "The United States is concerned by increased efforts to silence independent media and otherwise suppress freedom of expression, including the politically motivated targeting of journalists."

Several congressional Republicans have condemned the April 12 incident in which four masked men allegedly broke into the facility, smashing equipment with sledgehammers – damaging computers, a transmitter and an electronic device known as a central processing unit.

The incident temporarily stop printing of the conservative-leaning newspaper, according to the news outlet.