A Hong Kong court docket sentenced Chung Pui-kuen, former editor-in-chief of the now-defunct pro-democracy information outlet Stand Information, to 21 months in jail on Thursday. Patrick Lam, the previous performing editor-in-chief, was launched with a diminished sentence as a result of well being points.
Chung and Lam have been discovered responsible of conspiracy to publish seditious supplies and inciting hatred in opposition to the Central Authorities.
Throughout the sentencing, Decide Kwok Wai-kin held that Stand Information had been used as a automobile for undermining the Hong Kong and Chinese language governments amid the pro-democracy protests of 2019. He cited 11 articles revealed underneath their management as examples of seditious intent. Regardless of the protection’s argument that these articles constituted a minor a part of Stand Information’ total output, the decide maintained that their affect was appreciable, given the platform’s following of 1.6 million.
This case marks the primary conviction of journalists underneath Hong Kong’s colonial-era sedition regulation because the territory returned to Chinese language rule in 1997, according to BBC.
Chung and Lam had been detained for almost a 12 months previous to their launch on bail in late 2022. Their trial started in October 2022 and lasted roughly 50 days.
Following the decision, the Hong Kong Journalists Affiliation expressed concern concerning the implications for press freedom within the area. Human Rights Watch additionally issued a statement condemning the ruling, highlighting its influence on media freedom.
At present, Hong Kong ranks one hundred and thirty fifth out of 180 within the World Press Freedom Index, a big decline from eightieth in 2021. The area has seen elevated scrutiny and restrictions on journalists amid ongoing safety laws.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
