Hong Kong news outlet Stand News and editors convicted of sedition
File photo of an anti-China demonstration | for representation
A Hong Kong court on Thursday (Aug29) convicted two editors of the now-shuttered Stand News media outlet of conspiring to publish seditious articles in a significant case under the ongoing security crackdown in the China-ruled city. The ruling has drawn criticism worldwide with particular concerns raised aboutthe erosion of media freedoms.
Chung Pui-kuen, 54, and Patrick Lam, 36, were found guilty of charges that could lead to a maximum prison sentence of two years. This verdict represents the first sedition conviction against journalists or editors in Hong Kong since the city's 1997 handover from Britain to China.
The case has been condemned by various international observers, including the US government, as a stark example of the declining press freedoms under the intensifying national security measures in Hong Kong.
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Stand News, once a prominent online media platform known for its critical reporting and commentary was targeted by the Chinese authorities inDecember 2021. The police raided the outlet, froze its assets, and effectively forced its closure within days.
The charges against Chung, Lam, and the parent company, Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Ltd, relate to the publication of 17 articles and commentaries between July 2020 and December 2021, which prosecutors argued were seditious in nature.
Despite pleading not guilty, both Chung and Lam were convicted.
Only Chung was present in court on Thursday for the verdict, while Lam's absence remained unexplained.
In his judgment, District Court Judge Kwok Wai-kin saidthat the court's decision on seditious intent was influenced by considerations of "potential danger to national security" and the specific circumstances prevailing at the time of publication.
This case reflects the increasingly stringent measures against media organisations in Hong Kong amid broader concerns about the city's autonomy and freedoms under Chinese rule.