Hong Kong court to deliver verdict on Thursday for two journalists charged with sedition
HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court will deliver its verdict on Thursday for two former editors of a closed media outlet in a case it is widely seen as a barometer of the future of media freedom in the city once hailed as a bastion of free press in Asia.
The verdict was delayed several times for various reasons, including pending the outcome of the appeal. another historical sedition case.
Stand news Former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam were arrested in December 2021. They pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiring to publish and reproduce seditious publications. sedition trial It was the first time Hong Kong had involved the media since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Stand News was one of the last media outlets in the city to openly criticize the government amid the crackdown on dissent that followed mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
It was closed just months after the pro-democracy campaign Apple Daily Journalof which Jimmy Lai, Founder Imprisoned fights Collusion charges under a sweeping national security law enacted in 2020.
Chung and Lam were charged under a colonial-era sedition law that has increasingly been used to crush dissent. If convicted, they face up to two years in prison and a fine of HK$5,000 (about $640) for a first offense.
While the hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., some journalists and residents were already queuing in the morning to get a place in the main courtroom.
Kevin Ng, a city resident who was among the first to line up, said he was a former reader of Stand News and had followed the trial. Ng, 28, said he read the news less after the newspaper closed, feeling the city had lost some critical voices. He said if the editors were found guilty, he would have “complex feelings.”
“They reported the truth, they defended freedom of the press,” said the man who works in the risk management sector.
Their case involves 17 articles, including articles featuring former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui, who are part of a group of overseas-based activists targeted by Hong Kong Police Bonuses; interviews with three participants in a primary election organized by the pro-democracy camp in 2020; and commentary by Law and veteran journalists Allan Au and Chan Pui-man. Chan is also Chung’s wife.
Prosecutors accused some of the articles of promoting “illegal ideologies” and smearing the security law and law enforcement. They described Stand News as a political platform and online news outlet.
Chung had previously denied that Stand News was a political platform and stressed the importance of freedom of expression during the trial.
“Freedom of expression should not be restricted under the pretext of eradicating dangerous ideas, but rather be used to eradicate dangerous ideas,” he said.
Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Ltd., the holding company of Stand News, faced the same charge but had no representation during the trial, which started in October 2022.
Stand News closed its doors in December 2021, following a high-profile police raid on its premises and arrests. Armed with a warrant to seize relevant journalistic material, more than 200 officers took part in the operation.
Days after Stand News closed, independent news outlet Citizen News also announced it would cease operations, citing the deteriorating media environment and potential risks to its staff.
Hong Kong is ranked 135th out of 180 territories in the latest Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, up from 80th in 2021. Self-censorship has also become more prevalent during the political crackdown on dissent. In March, the city government enacted a new press freedom law. new security law Many journalists fear that this will further restrict press freedom.
The Hong Kong government says the city still enjoys freedom of the press, guaranteed by its mini-constitution.
