In this instance, the Hong Kong-based news platform Stand News and its previous editors have been found guilty of instigating subversion.
Journalists Chung Pui Kuen and Lam, alongside the administrators of the now-shutdown site, were indicted for "conspiring to disseminate and publish seditious content." This offense carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
The court's ruling declared that "Stand News" had advocated for Hong Kong's independence, and transformed into a platform that disparaged and defamed the central Chinese government's administration in Beijing and the Hong Kong administration. The parent company, Best Pencil Limited, was also found guilty.
Lam was unable to attend the trial due to illness. Both journalists were granted bail before the verdict was announced on September 26th.
This is the first instance of such a conviction following the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. The verdict serves as an additional setback to media freedom. In the past two decades, Hong Kong has dropped from 18th to 135th place in the Press Freedom Index, as compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
"Stand News" garnered a significant readership during the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The prosecution presented multiple articles from the publication as evidence, casting judgment on the curtailment of freedoms in the former British colony since the central government in Beijing violently suppressed massive pro-democracy protests.
Over 100 individuals rallied outside the courthouse for the verdict. Representatives from various consulates, including the USA, the UK, and the European Union, were present for the verdict.
An unnamed former journalist on the scene described the trial as a landmark triumph in the suppression of media freedom. Chung was alleged to have "merely carried out the duties of a journalist, something that would not have resulted in criminal charges and imprisonment in the past," the ex-journalist told the AFP news agency. Lau Yan-hin, a previous "Stand News" employee, spoke about an "all-out assault" on the media.
The European Union urged Hong Kong to "cease persecuting journalists" after the verdict. The verdict poses a threat to "the diversity of perspectives and the unrestricted flow of information, both key components of Hong Kong's economic growth," an EU spokesperson stated. The USA labeled the guilty verdict as a "direct assault on media freedom."
The charge of sedition dates back to the colonial British era, and was seldom utilized for a considerable amount of time. However, it has since been adopted by authorities against government opponents since 2020.
Beh Lih Yi from the Committee to Protect Journalists in the USA criticized the implementation of "outdated legislation such as the British colonial-era sedition law" as "a travesty of justice." "Journalism is not seditious," she reiterated. The verdict illustrates "Hong Kong's gradual slide towards authoritarianism and the fact that anyone who deviates from the norm can end up in prison." Sarah Brooks, China Director at Amnesty International, described the verdict as "yet another blow to media freedom in Hong Kong."
During a separate trial on Thursday, a defendant was found guilty of allegedly planning to bomb the police during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong. The jury reportedly acquitted six other defendants. Lai Chun-pong now faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Other news outlets condemned the court's decision, viewing it as a threat to [Other] press freedom in Hong Kong. The charge of sedition was rarely used against journalists until the central Chinese government's administration in Beijing adopted it against government opponents in recent years.
