Two journalists who run a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong have been convicted of inciting sedition.
Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, two editors at the now-defunct media outlet Stand News, could now face a maximum prison sentence of two years.
This is the first treason case against journalists in Hong Kong since the territory was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.
Human rights groups have condemned the ruling, with Reporters Without Borders calling on Hong Kong to “stop its brutal campaign against press freedom”.
In a written statement, district court judge Kwok Wai-kin said Stand News had become a “danger to national security”.
The paper’s editor supports “Hong Kong’s local autonomy,” he added.
“It has even become a tool to smear and slander the Central Government. [in Beijing] and [Hong Kong] SAR authorities,” he said in a written judgment.
Both journalists were charged under colonial-era treason laws – rarely used by prosecutors until recently – rather than the controversial national security law (NSL).
They are expected to be sentenced at the end of September.
Stand News is one of a handful of relatively new online news portals and was particularly prominent during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
But since the NSL was enacted in 2020, many media outlets have closed in Hong Kong.
Critics say the law reduces Hong Kong’s judicial autonomy and makes it easier to punish protesters and activists.
Stand News was one of the last openly pro-democracy publications until it closed in December 2021, when more than 200 police officers were sent to raid the publication’s offices.
Seven staff members were arrested and charged with “conspiracy to publish inciting publications”, including interviews with pro-democracy activists.
Current Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee supported the police action at the time, calling those arrested “bad elements who harm press freedom”.
The incident has attracted international attention and condemnation from Western countries.
The United States has repeatedly condemned the prosecution of journalists in Hong Kong, saying the case against both editors “has a chilling effect on others in journalism and the media”.
According to the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, the former British colony’s position in the press freedom rankings has plummeted from 18th to 135th place over the past two decades.
On Thursday, their Asia-Pacific regional director called the ruling a “terrible judgment.” [that] “setting a very dangerous precedent for journalists.”
“From now on, anyone who reports on events that do not conform to the official position of the government can be convicted of treason,” Cédric Alviani said in a statement.
“We call on the Hong Kong government to end the continued harassment of the two journalists and end the campaign of violations of press freedom.”
