Two Hong Kong ex-editors may get 2 years for sedition
HONG KONG—A Hong Kong court is due to sentence two former editors on Thursday who have been found guilty of sedition after publishing articles about the national security crackdown in the city under China—a ruling that has prompted an international outcry.
In a landmark case about media freedom, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam of the now-defunct Stand News media outlet were convicted last month—the first time journalists have been found guilty of sedition since the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1997.
Chung, 55, and Lam, 36, had pleaded not guilty. Stand News, once Hong Kong’s leading online media outlet, was known for its hard-hitting reports about the city’s 2019 prodemocracy protests and later the national security crackdown.
Under Hong Kong law, they could be jailed for up to two years.
‘Respect press freedom’
Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, said the office was calling on Hong Kong authorities to review the court’s decision in line with obligations under international human rights law.
Twenty-three member states of the Media Freedom Coalition, including the US, UK and Canada, have similarly signed a statement, urging “Hong Kong and China authorities to abide by their international human rights commitments and legal obligations, and to respect freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong.”
A spokesperson for Hong Kong’s government said in a statement that the government “strongly disapproved of and rejected the fact-twisting remarks and baseless smears” by the coalition.
Hong Kong and Chinese officials have said the security clampdown—which has included tighter laws—has been needed to maintain stability after the prodemocracy protests.
During the 57-day trial, the prosecution argued that Stand News had acted as a political platform to promote “illegal” ideologies and incited readers’ hatred against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.
—Reuters
