A Hong Kong court convicted two former editors of a closed down news outlet on Thursday, in a sedition case that is widely seen as a barometer for the future of media freedom in the city once hailed as a bastion of free press in Asia.
Stand News former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam were arrested in December 2021.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications. Their sedition trial was Hong Kong’s first involving media since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Stand News was one of the city’s last media outlets that openly criticised the government amid a crackdown on dissent that followed massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The offence is punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (about £585) under a colonial-era sedition law. Judge Kwok Wai-kin is not expected to hand down a sentence on the same day.
The outlet’s holding company was convicted on the same charge. It had no representatives during the trial, which began in October 2022.
Mr Chung appeared calm after the verdict was handed down, while Mr Lam did not appear in court.
Stand News was shut down just months after the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, whose jailed founder Jimmy Lai is fighting collusion charges under a sweeping national security law enacted in 2020.
Mr Chung and Mr Lam were charged under a colonial-era sedition law that has been used increasingly to crush dissidents.
Dozens of residents and reporters lined up in the morning to secure a seat for the hearing, which was scheduled for 2.30pm and began an hour late.
The delivery of the verdict was delayed several times for reasons including awaiting the appeal outcome of another landmark sedition case.
Their case is centred on 17 articles which prosecutors said helped to promote “illegal ideologies”, as well as smearing the security law and law enforcement officers. They described Stand News as a political platform as well as an online news outlet.
Mr Chung previously denied that Stand News was a political platform, and emphasised the importance of freedom of speech during the trial.
“Freedom of speech should not be restricted on the grounds of eradicating dangerous ideas, but rather it should be used to eradicate dangerous ideas,” he said.
Stand News shut down in December 2021, following a high-profile police raid at its office and the arrests.
Armed with a warrant to seize relevant journalistic materials, more than 200 officers participated in the operation.
Days after Stand News shut down, independent news outlet Citizen News also announced it would cease operations, citing the deteriorating media environment and the potential risks to its staff.
