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A court in Hong Kong has convicted two journalists from a defunct pro-democracy news website of sedition in a landmark trial that highlighted shrinking press freedoms in the Chinese territory.
Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, former leading editors of Stand News, were handed guilty verdicts on Thursday for conspiracy to publish seditious materials, almost three years after their arrests in 2021, which triggered the closure of the news outlet.
The duo, who had pleaded not guilty, face up to two years in jail under a colonial-era sedition law. Their conviction was the first under the law against journalists since Hong Kong was handed back to China from British administration in 1997. Sentencing has been set for September 26.
District court judge Kwok Wai-kin found 11 of 17 articles submitted by the prosecution, which were published between July 2020 and December 2021 and included opinion pieces and interviews with pro-democracy activists, had “seditious intentions”, and had been approved and published by Chung or Lam. Stand News’s parent company was also found guilty of sedition.
Stand News had frequently drawn the ire of Hong Kong officials over its reporting during and after citywide anti-government protests in 2019. Beijing launched a crackdown on dissent in the wake of the protests, imprisoning opposition activists or driving them into exile and imposing a sweeping national security law on the city in 2020.
Other major pro-democracy news outlets also closed, including Apple Daily and Citizen News. Jimmy Lai, former media mogul and founder of Apple Daily, is facing up to life in prison on charges of colluding with foreign forces under the national security law.
Hong Kong passed local security legislation in March, which also includes maximum penalties of life imprisonment for crimes such as treason, and increased sentences for sedition, though Chung and Lam will not be subject to the increased penalties under the new law.
Stand News was raided by more than 200 police officers in December 2021, a move that drew widespread condemnation from international observers including the US and EU. Seven people were arrested, including Stand News board members Denise Ho, a well-known opposition activist, and Margaret Ng, a former lawmaker, though only Chung and Lam were charged.
“This appalling verdict sets a very dangerous precedent for journalists,” said Cédric Alviani, Asia-Pacific director for Reporters Without Borders, following Thursday’s verdict. “From now on, anyone reporting on facts that are not in line with the authorities’ official narrative could be sentenced for sedition.”
A lawyer for Chung and Lam argued on Thursday that the defendants were journalists who “insisted on their beliefs” in providing reporting and a platform for varied voices despite the growing risks to their profession.
The lawyer also read out a written statement from Lam, who said that the “only way for journalists to defend press freedom is to continue reporting”.
Former journalists from the news site were among the dozens who attended the hearing on Thursday. One former reporter in her twenties wept as Lam’s statement was read out.
“I’m so proud to have worked with him,” she said.
