HongKong journalists found guilty of sedition in case critics say highlight decline in press freedom

Hong Kong journalist found guilty of sedition in case critics say highlighted decline in press Freedom Chong pan former Editor in Chief of the now shle stand the news and Patrick l former acting editor leave C on June 27 2023 after a hearing in charges of a conspire conspiring to publish SED Sous publication in Hong Kong Hong Kong CNN a Hong Kong quot found two former news editors guilty on Thursday of publishing Sous content on the shuttled shuttered pro-democracy media site a ruling right groups say was a for further blow to press freedom in the city as Beijing titon H group Chong P former Editor in Chief of stand the news and Patrick l Shu Tong the Publications X ex acting editor had been charged under the colonial era law that has been increasingly used to Target The Descent following wave of anti-government protest in 2019 it was the first sedition case targeting journalist in Hong Kong since the former British Colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 their convictions came nearly 3 years after hundreds of police officers descended on the Independent News website office in December 2021 to seize journalistic materials and arrest staff members forcing it to close days later once of Bastion of uh once a Bastion of press freedom in China CH Hong Kong has seen each one's vibrant vibrant local media landscape we since Beijing imposed the sweeping National Security Law on the city in 2020 with the Chinese language media hit particularly heard outspoken Lo locer news Outlet such as stand news and Apple Daily were forced to shut down in recent years several foreign media and non-governmental organizations has also since chosen to relocate their headquarters elsewhere citing the changing political landscape however many International media Outlets still operate in the city and it remains home to many foreign journalist both Hong Kong and Beijing authorities say the national security law has helped restore stability in the financial Hub following massive and open viant protest in 20 1990 but critics counter that what China's Communist Party views as National Security offenses are far broader and more sweeping of ining political criticism and descent on Thursday the Hong Kong District Court also convicted best to pencil Hong Kong the holding company of stand the news of the Sedition offense colonal era ordiance ordinance during the trial Pro prosecutors accused the website of publishing 17 sto stories that disparaged the beijan government Hong Kong authorities and the National Security Law between July 2020 and December 2021 the stories featured the B interviewed with the former opposition lawmakers and activist most of whom are currently in jail or living in self deposed exch child including Nathan law who is wanted by the city's National Security Police lawyers defending Chong and L argued that those 17 stories were part of the much broader news f file which included interviews with Pro uh PR government voices and that the news organization had dedicated itself to carrying out balanced journalis uh journalism in the summary of the Judgment judge Co y King wrote at the time of the publication of stories Hong Kong was in the heated political environment and that many citizens even opposed the Hong Kong government and the central government in Beijing in it ruled that 11 of the 17 stories in question were examples of the sedici content the court rules rules that Chong is aware and agrees with the Sedition intent and provides stand news as the publication platform with the intent to incite uh hatred against the Central and the Hong Kong government he said adding that the Articles provoked the citizens to resort to illegal act and incited hat rate against the Judiciary the L shared the similar car ability when he was the acting editor the summary said the pair uh will be sentenced at the later date Chong and L are found guilty on charges steaming from the colonial era crimes ordinance but the polic involved with the case were national security officers the each had already stand spent a year in jail awaiting trial a patent scene in the man SEC National security cases until they were bailed in late 2022 they faced the maximum sentence of the two years in prison during Mi mitigation Thursday L's lawyer and Order o read out a letter on his behalf in which a former editor said he regretted not telling the police one thing after his arrest journalists do not have to be a lawyer lawyer uh lawyer to anyone so support anyone or be enemies of anyone he wrote in the letter and if we really have someone to be loyer to it will be the public and only the public because we believe in freedom of the press and the freedom of speech the pre press Freedom concerns in a separated case the Hong Kong media Tycoon Jimmy Li long known for his support of the Cities Pro democracy movement and the criticism of China's leaders is on trial accused of several count of colluding with foreign forces of crime under the National Security Law as well as the separate sedic charge he faces the maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted in March Hong Kong reg registrated registrated a second National Security Law known as article 23 which Consolidated the stion office offenses and raised each maximum jail terms from two years to the decade the move prompted further concern from media workers workers according to Hong Kong journalist Association which unveils each annual survey last week each members said the Press freedom in the city was at loer ever level since the association started collecting data in 2013 press freedom in Hong Kong has continued each downward slide with many reporters featuring further restrictions as the result of recently introduced article 23 National Security legislation the Trade union said the association has come under increasing pressure from authorities in recent years but both Hong Kong officers and Beijing State media have accused it of siding with protesters during the 2019 protest a charge the association has denied it each chairperson Selena Chong said the last month she was F fired by the world Street Jer after she was elected to lead the association the newspaper declined to comment on his CA her case and but said it continue continues to be a Fierce and voer advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world Hong Kong's leader John Lee of former police chip has repeatedly denied it the media freedoms have faded while arguing both the local and for press to tell good story about the city in May reporters Without Borders called Al rsf ranked the Hong Kong at 135 out of 180 places in each annual press Freedom ranking each 2023 ranking was the big drop from 30 73 in 2019 and 18 in 2002 China ranked 179 according to the Press writer graduation the story has been updated with audition information