In Hong Kong, two journalists from the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Stand News are awaiting a verdict in a sedition case that has been seen as a crucial test of press freedom in the territory. The former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and the acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam are facing charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials under a law dating back to Hong Kong’s time as a British colony. This is the first time the sedition law has been used against the media since 1997 when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule.
The trial, which began almost two years ago, has been delayed multiple times, and the journalists could face up to two years in prison and fines if convicted. Stand News was shut down in December 2021 following a raid by national security police and subsequent arrests, with only Chung and Lam facing charges. Many Western officials have criticized the arrests and closures, with concerns about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong mounting.
Since the imposition of a sweeping national security law in response to the 2019 protests, many pro-democracy figures have been arrested, and civil society groups have shut down. The decline in press freedom is reflected in rankings by organizations like Reporters Without Borders, with Hong Kong dropping significantly in recent years. Despite government assurances that press freedom is protected under the city’s mini-constitution, concerns remain about the impact of new national security legislation.
The case against Stand News is based on articles deemed seditious by prosecutors, including criticism of the national security law and profiles of pro-democracy figures facing legal repercussions. Chung and Lam’s lawyers argue that they were simply reporting on issues of public interest, like other news outlets in Hong Kong.
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