Amnesty International’s China Director reacts to prison sentences for former Stand News editors in Hong Kong
Why were the former Stand News editors sentenced to jail?
- The first journalists sentenced under colonial-era ‘sedition’ charges since before the 1997 handover
- Imposing a chilling effect on media freedom in Hong Kong
What is Amnesty International urging the Hong Kong authorities to do?
- Stop using ‘sedition’ and national security laws to suppress press freedom
- Calling for the repeal of the journalists’ convictions
Background information on the case:
- Former editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam sentenced to jail
- Convicted of conspiring to publish seditious articles
- Stand News ceased operations in December 2021
- First trial for sedition of a media company and journalists since before 1997
This case highlights the ongoing challenges to press freedom in Hong Kong, with calls for greater protection of journalists’ rights.
Source: www.amnesty.org