Hong Kong Editors Found Guilty in Landmark Sedition Case

A Hong Kong court has found editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam of Stand News guilty of publishing seditious articles. The verdict, the first sedition conviction against journalists since the 1997 handover, has drawn global criticism over deteriorating media freedoms. They face up to two years in prison.

A Hong Kong court has found two editors of the defunct Stand News media outlet guilty of conspiring to publish seditious articles. Chung Pui-kuen, 54, and Patrick Lam, 36, could face up to two years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Sept. 26. This case marks the first sedition conviction against journalists in Hong Kong since its 1997 handover from Britain to China.

The U.S. government and other international critics argue that the case signals a decline in media freedoms amid a widespread national security crackdown. Stand News, previously a leading online media outlet in Hong Kong, was shut down in December 2021 after a police raid and asset freeze.

Chung, Lam, and their parent company Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Ltd were charged with conspiracy to publish seditious publications linked to 17 articles between July 2020 and December 2021. International media freedom advocacy groups condemned the verdict, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent for suppressing independent voices.

(With inputs from agencies.)