Hong Kong outlet ‘Stand News’ editor jailed for sedition
The Hindu
Hong Kong judge jails Stand News editor for sedition, sparking global condemnation and concerns over press freedom.
A Hong Kong judge jailed a former chief editor of pro-democracy outlet Stand News for sedition on Thursday, handing down a 21-month prison term in the landmark case.
The sentencing of Chung Pui-kuen is the latest crackdown on free speech in the former British colony that has seen critics of China jailed or forced into exile after huge pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Chung, 55, and fellow chief editor Patrick Lam, 36, were in charge of Stand News, a Chinese-language website that gained a massive following during the protests before it was raided and shut down in December 2021.
District court judge Kwok Wai-kin found the pair guilty last month of "conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications". Stand News' parent company, Best Pencil Limited, was also found guilty.
Chung's 21-month sentence makes him the first journalist to be jailed for sedition since Hong Kong came under Chinese rule in 1997.
Lam received a sentence reduction and will not return to jail, owing to time already served, with Judge Kwok saying a prison term "could endanger his life" due to serious health issues.
The judge said the two defendants, as well as the publication, were "not doing genuine journalistic work".