Hong Kong court sentences Stand News editor to guilty for sedition

Former chief editor Cheng Puk-wun says that freedom of speech should not be restricted on the grounds of 'eradicating dangerous ideas'.

In a groundbreaking case that took place amid the security crackdown in China-controlled Hong Kong, the former editor-in-chief of the now defunct independent news media, Stand News, was found guilty of incitement.

Judge Kwok Wai-kin announced the verdict on Thursday, finding former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kun and acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam guilty of conspiring to publish seditious publications. The judge stated that 11 out of the 17 articles submitted as evidence by the prosecution were seditious articles under the colonial-era sedition law.

The judge did not immediately deliver the sentence, but the two could face up to two years in prison and a fine of HK$5,000 (approximately $640).

Al Jazeera's Laura Westbrook reported from Hong Kong, stating that this trial is seen as a litmus test for press freedom in Hong Kong.She noted that this is the first sedition trial for Hong Kong journalists since the former British colony was returned to China in 1997."People will see this verdict as another worrying sign of the gradual erosion of the freedom that Hong Kong has enjoyed," she commented on journalists and international news organizations.

"People will see this verdict as another worrying sign of the gradual erosion of the freedom that Hong Kong has enjoyed," she commented on journalists and international news organizations.

Stand News was closed down in 2021 after a large-scale police raid that resulted in the arrest of two journalists and five staff members.

It was one of the last media outlets critical of the government, amidst the crackdown on dissenting voices following the massive pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.

Articles deemed inflammatory included columns by pro-democracy politician Nathan Law, who is one of the many exiles for whom the Hong Kong police offer rewards for arrest.

An interview with journalist-turned-activist Gwyneth Ho was also considered provocative. Ho is one of the dozens of activists who were convicted of vandalism for organizing unofficial primaries for pro-democracy candidates ahead of the postponed Legislative Council election in May.

Prosecutors argued that some of the articles promoted 'illegal ideologies' and defamed law enforcement officers, describing Stand News as both a political platform and an online news outlet.

'Freedom of speech should not be restricted for the purpose of eradicating dangerous ideologies, but rather it should be used to eliminate dangerous ideologies,' Chung stated during the trial, refuting the characterization of Stand News as a political platform. Former colleague Lam did not appear in court for health reasons.

Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited, the parent company of Stand News, was also convicted of the same charges. The trial, which began in October 2022, proceeded in the absence of representatives from the company.

Stand News is fighting conspiracy charges based on the national security law enacted by China in 2020. Its founder, Jimmy Lai, was imprisoned, and the pro-democracy organization Apple Daily was closed just a few months later.

A few days after this closure, independent news outlet Citizen News also announced the suspension of its operations, citing a deteriorating media environment and potential risks to its staff.

Hong Kong was ranked 135th out of 180 regions in the latest World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, dropping from 80th place in 2021. Self-censorship has also become more noticeable amidst the repression of political dissent.

In March, the Hong Kong government enacted a new national security law, prompting concerns that it would further suppress media freedom. Many journalists fear that it will do just that.

The Hong Kong government claims that press freedom, guaranteed in the mini-constitution, is still being enjoyed.