Hong Kong Court Convicts Editors of Sedition

A Hong Kong court has convicted two former editors of Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, of sedition, marking the first such conviction for journalists since the territory's handover to China in 1997. The editors were found guilty of conspiring to publish seditious material, which could result in up to two years in prison. This landmark case highlights the increasing restrictions on press freedom in Hong Kong following the imposition of a national security law that has curtailed dissent since the 2019 protests. Prosecutors cited 17 specific articles, which included interviews with pro-democracy activists, as evidence of the seditious content. The trial has drawn international scrutiny amid concerns about media independence in the region, with critics arguing it represents a significant threat to journalistic freedom. Both editors had pleaded not guilty during the proceedings, which began in 2022, and Stand News ceased operations in late 2021 after government crackdowns.