Hong Kong Journalists Convicted in Sedition Case

Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, former editors of the defunct Hong Kong outlet Stand News, are being sentenced after their conviction for sedition, marking a significant blow to press freedom in the region. The pair were found guilty of publishing articles with 'seditious intentions' that criticized the Beijing and Hong Kong governments amid a crackdown on dissent following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Both face up to two years in prison and fines, with their case drawing international condemnation from the U.S., EU, and the UN, which argue it undermines media freedom. Hong Kong authorities, however, maintain that the journalists violated laws necessary for stability. This landmark ruling represents the first sedition conviction of journalists since Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule in 1997 and highlights the deteriorating state of press freedom in the territory. The trial has been seen as indicative of the broader suppression of dissent under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.