HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court foundedguilty 2 previous editors of a shuttered news outlet on Thursday, in a sedition case extensively seen as a barometer for the future of media flexibilities in a city when hailed as a bastion of complimentary press in Asia.
Stand News previous editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and previous acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam were apprehended in December2021 They pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to release and replicate seditious publications. Their trial was Hong Kong’s initially including the media giventhat the previous British nest returned to Chinese guideline in1997
Stand News was one of the city’s last media outlets that freely slammed the federalgovernment amidst a crackdown on dissent that followed huge pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
It was shut down simply months after the pro-democracy Apple Daily paper, whose imprisoned creator Jimmy Lai is combating collusion charges under a sweeping nationwide security law enacted in 2020.
Chung and Lam were charged under a colonial-era sedition law utilized significantly to crush dissidents. They face up to 2 years in jail and a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $640) for a veryfirst offense.
Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Ltd., the outlet’s holding business, was foundedguilty on the exactsame charge. It had no agents throughout the trial, which started in October 2022.
Judge Kwok Wai-kin stated in his composed judgement that Stand News’ endedupbeing a tool for smearing the Beijing and Hong Kong federalgovernments throughout the 2019 demonstrations.
He stated a conviction is considered proportional “when speech, in the appropriate context, is considered to have triggered capacity damage to nationwide security and plans to seriously weaken the authority of the Chinese main federalgovernment or the Hong Kong federalgovernment, and that it should be stopped.”
The case was focused on 17 shortarticles. Prosecutors stated some promoted “illegal ideologies,” or smeared the security law and law enforcement officers. Judge Kwok ruled that 11 brought seditious objective, consistingof commentaries composed by activist Nathan Law and respected reporters Allan Au and Chan Pui-man. Chan is likewise Chung’s partner.
The judge discovered that the other 6 did not bring seditious intention, consistingof in interviews with pro-democracy ex-lawmakers Law and Ted Hui, who are amongst overseas-based activists targeted by Hong Kong authorities bounties.
Chung appeared calm after the decision while Lam did not appear in court due to health factors. They were provided bail pending sentencing on Sept.26
Defense legalrepresentative Audrey Eu read out a mitigation declaration from Lam, who stated Stand News pressreporters lookedfor to run a news outlet with totally independent editorial requirements. “The just method for reporters to protect press flexibility is reporting,” Eu pricedquote Lam as stating.
Eu did not read out Chung’s mitigatio