Two journalists in Hong Kong have been found guilty of sedition, marking the first such case against journalists in the territory since its handover from Britain to China in 1997. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, editors at the now-defunct Stand News media outlet, could face up to two years in jail following the verdict.
District court judge Kwok Wai-kin stated in a written statement that Stand News had become a “danger to national security” with its editorial line supporting “Hong Kong local autonomy”. The judge accused the newspaper of using its platform to smear and vilify the Central Authorities in Beijing and the Hong Kong SAR Government.
The journalists were charged under a colonial-era sedition law, rather than the controversial national security law, and are set to be sentenced later in September. Stand News was one of the few openly pro-democratic publications until its closure in December 2021, following a police raid that led to the arrest of seven employees accused of a “conspiracy to publish seditious publications”.
The case has drawn international condemnation, with Reporters Without Borders calling on Hong Kong to “stop its nefarious campaign against press freedom”. The United States has also criticized the prosecutions, stating that the verdict sets a dangerous precedent for journalists reporting on facts that do not align with the authorities’ narrative.
The decline in press freedom in Hong Kong is evident, with the territory’s ranking dropping from 18th place to 135th over the past two decades. Critics argue that the introduction of the national security law has made it easier to punish demonstrators and activists, leading to the closure of several media outlets.
The verdict against the two journalists has sparked outrage and calls for the authorities to end the judicial harassment and uphold press freedom in Hong Kong. The case serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by journalists in the region and the importance of protecting freedom of the press.
