'Sinister turn' as two journalists in Hong Kong found guilty of sedition

Two journalists from the closed Hong Kong media outlet Stand News were found guilty of conspiring to publish seditious materials yesterday - the first such convictions since Hong Kong's return to Chinese control after a trial that was closely observed as a barometer for the city's diminishing press freedom.

- Helen Davidson , Amy Hawkins

The former editors Chung Puikuen and Patrick Lam were arrested on 29 December 2021 after police raided the outlet's newsroom.

Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, said the verdicts marked "a dark day for press freedom" in Hong Kong.

The court found 11 articles published by Stand News to be seditious from the 17 that prosecutors had said sought to promote "illegal ideologies" and to incite hatred against the governments in Hong Kong and China and the 2020 national security law.

The parent company of Stand News, Best Pencil Ltd, was also found guilty.

The district court judge Kwok Wai-kin said that in making a ruling on seditious intent the court had considered "the potential danger to national security" and the actual situation at the time.

Stand News, launched in 2014, had been a significant source of news about the 2019 pro-democracy protests and the harsh crackdown by authorities. It became known for its livestreamed reports from the frontline of protests as police clashed with demonstrators.

Lord Patten said: "The baseless allegations and verdict of this trial mark a further sinister turn for media freedom in Hong Kong, as it is clear that political commentary and opinion pieces may violate national security."