The recent conviction of Hong Kong pro-democracy news outlet Stand News and its former chief editors for sedition marks a significant turning point in the city’s media landscape. This verdict, the first of its kind since the city’s handover to China in 1997, is part of a broader crackdown on free speech that has seen journalists and critics of China targeted and silenced.
Editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, who were in charge of Stand News during the 2019 pro-democracy protests, were found guilty of „conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications.“ The parent company of Stand News, Best Pencil Limited, was also convicted in this case. The court ruled that the outlet had taken a stance in support of Hong Kong’s local autonomy, but had also used its platform to criticize and undermine the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong.
The use of a colonial-era sedition law to prosecute journalists is concerning, especially in light of a recent security law that has increased the maximum jail term for sedition to seven years. The European Union has called on Hong Kong to stop prosecuting journalists, emphasizing the importance of a free press in maintaining the city’s economic success.
Outside the court, police chief superintendent Steve Li defended the enforcement actions taken against Stand News in 2021, stating that the verdict illustrated the necessity and lawfulness of these actions. However, critics argue that this ruling further erodes press freedom in Hong Kong and signals a troubling descent into authoritarianism.
The Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International have both condemned the verdict, emphasizing that journalism is not seditious and that the prosecution of journalists is a violation of press freedom. Hong Kong’s standing in global press freedom rankings has declined in recent years, reflecting the deteriorating media environment in the city.
Despite the challenges facing the media in Hong Kong, supporters and media professionals continue to stand in solidarity with outlets like Stand News. The public gallery at the court was filled with over 100 people, and representatives from various consulates, including the United States, Britain, France, European Union, and Australia, were in attendance at the verdict.
As the sentencing for Chung and Lam approaches, the international community will be closely watching the developments in Hong Kong. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for press freedom and democracy in the city, and it is crucial that journalists are able to report freely without fear of persecution or censorship.