A litmus test case delivers an ominous verdict for the future of press freedom in Hong Kong.

By Lisa Peryman for Probe International

Hong Kong: A verdict of guilty on charges of sedition for two former chief editors of the shuttered pro-democracy news outlet, Stand News, has served another blow to press freedom in the China-ruled city.

The case against former Editor-in-Chief Chung Pui-Kuen, former chief editor Patrick Lam, and their now-defunct company, was viewed as a litmus test in a media landscape that has undergone significant transformations since the implementation of the National Security Law (NSL) in 2020.

Since taking effect, journalists covering sensitive topics have been targeted by police and pro-Beijing factions. The change in atmosphere has created a dangerous environment for journalists, who are now at risk of arrest and imprisonment for their reporting, as the case against Chung Pui-Kuen and Patrick Lam makes clear.

The sedition charges signal a broader crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong as part of a strategy to suppress criticism of the government, particularly in the aftermath of the city’s 2019-2020 protests.

The closure of Stand News (its founding message to keep power in check) has prompted other media outlets to reconsider their operations. Citizen News, an independent news outlet, announced its exit shortly after, citing the deteriorating media environment and the risks to its staff.

Most major media outlets in Hong Kong are now owned by pro-Beijing groups, which consequently exert a significant control over content and editorial direction. Independent media owners face political pressure and are often forced to close their operations due to government actions such as asset freeze.

The decline in press freedom has global implications, in particular, the ability of journalists to report freely on the territory and its relationship with China. This has also led to the establishment of diaspora media outlets by journalists who have left Hong Kong due to the silencing of alternative voices.

Kwok Wai-Kin, the PRC-appointed district court judge in the Stand News trial, did not immediately hand down a sentence with his ruling of conspiring to publish seditious publications, based on 11 of 17 articles presented as evidence by the prosecution. The former Stand News editors could face as long as two years in prison and a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (approx. US$640).

Speaking to The Guardian U.K., Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, described “the baseless allegations and verdict of this trial” as “a further sinister turn” for the city’s media freedom when “political commentary and opinion pieces may violate national security.”