Hong Kong jails two journalists for sedition

A Hong Kong Court has jailed 2 journalists who led a pro-democracy paper aft they were recovered blameworthy successful a landmark sedition lawsuit past month.

Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, editors astatine the now-defunct Stand News media outlet, had published articles astir the crackdown connected civilian liberties successful the metropolis nether China.

Chung was sentenced to 21 months, portion Lam was fixed 11 months, but was released connected aesculapian grounds. The steadfast down Stand News - Best Pencil - has been fined HK$5,000 (US$643; £480).

It is the archetypal sedition lawsuit against journalists successful Hong Kong since the territory's handover from Britain to China successful 1997.

After a lengthy trial, which began successful October 2022 and was primitively scheduled to past conscionable 20 days, territory tribunal justice Kwok Wai-kin Kwok recovered that 11 articles published by Stand News were seditious and that Stand News had go a "danger to nationalist security".

Their newspaper's editorial enactment supported "Hong Kong section autonomy", Mr Kwok said successful a written statement.

"It adjacent became a instrumentality to smear and vilify the Central Authorities [in Beijing] and the [Hong Kong] SAR Government," helium added.

Both journalists were charged nether a colonial-era sedition instrumentality - which until precocious had been seldom utilized by prosecutors - alternatively than the arguable nationalist information instrumentality (NSL).

Stand News was among a fistful of comparatively caller online quality portals that particularly gained prominence during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

Rights groups person condemned the sentencing. Reporters Without Borders told the BBC it is "yet different nail successful the coffin for property state successful Hong Kong".

Since the instauration of the NSL successful 2020, a big of media outlets person closed successful Hong Kong.

Critics accidental the instrumentality efficaciously reduces the city's once-prized judicial autonomy, making it easier to punish demonstrators and activists. China defends it arsenic indispensable for maintaining stability.

Stand News was among the past openly pro-democratic publications until its closure successful December 2021, erstwhile much than 200 constabulary officers were sent to raid its office.

Seven employees were arrested and accused of a "conspiracy to people seditious publications", which included interviews with pro-democracy activists.

Hong Kong's existent main enforcement John Lee supported the constabulary cognition astatine the time, calling those arrested the "evil elements that harm property freedom".

The lawsuit has drawn planetary scrutiny and condemnation from occidental countries.

The United States has repeatedly condemned the prosecutions of journalists successful Hong Kong, saying that the lawsuit against the some editors "creates a chilling effect connected others successful the property and media".

The erstwhile British colony has seen its lasting successful property state rankings plummet from 18th spot to 135th implicit the past 2 decades, according to the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

Their Asia-based Advocacy Manager Aleksandra Bielakowska told the BBC that the Hong Kong judiciary has go "a governmental tool, utilized to endanger those who situation to talk independently".

"Like successful China, the authorities is trying to make its ain narratives, and marque definite that each reporters volition beryllium lone 'telling Hong Kong’s communicative well'," she said.

"Deliberately targeting autarkic media and its journalists has near a immense void successful Hong Kong’s media scenery that volition beryllium precise hard to rebuild," she added.