Two journalists from the pro-democracy news site Stand News were charged with “sedition»Thursday, December 30 in Hong Kong after the police operation the day before against this media, which triggered an international wave of condemnation. The Hong Kong police have “indicted two men, aged 34 and 52, and an online media company, with conspiring to carry out a seditious publication“, She announced in a press release.
Read alsoHong Kong: after six arrests for “seditious publication”, a pro-democracy media closes
According to court documents, they are Stand News editor-in-chief Patrick Lam and his predecessor Chung Pui-kuen, arrested on Wednesday along with five other people linked to the media. The site publisher, Best Pencil, is also being sued. According to the indictment, they were also charged with apologizing for “hatred and outrage“And to have”incited to discontent“Against the government”and violence“. A court on Thursday refused to grant the two men bail, sparking murmurs and tears from the audience, which is largely made up of many Stand News employees. Only Chung Pui-kuen appeared, nodding to his supporters, Patrick Lam being hospitalized, according to his lawyer.
In a statement, the Chinese central government liaison office in Hong Kong estimated that “Bringing affected Stands News members to justice is one way to ensure bad guys get what they deserve and has nothing to do with press freedom“. Police raided the headquarters of Stand News and the homes of several of its employees on Wednesday, and froze 61 million Hong Kong dollars (7 million euros) in the publisher’s assets. In addition to Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, a former journalist and four former members of the media’s board were arrested, including Cantonese pop star Denise Ho and the lawyer and former member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. Margaret Ng.
Several international reactions
The site, founded in 2014 and very active during anti-government protests in 2019 that it regularly filmed live, announced on Wednesday that it was shutting down and firing all of its employees. It is the second independent media outlet to disappear from Hong Kong since local authorities loyal to Beijing began a relentless takeover of the city last year. In June, the pro-democracy Apple Daily closed after its leaders were arrested and its assets frozen. Come to attend the hearing, a journalist from Stand News, who has worked there since its creation in 2014, told AFP to feel “empty and helpless“:”We did nothing but tell the facts“.
The police raid on the media has been condemned by governments in many countries around the world. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that the press crackdown is damaging the city’s reputation as an international financial center. “By silencing independent media, China and local authorities are undermining Hong Kong’s credibility and viability“, Said the head of American diplomacy in a statement. “Journalism is not sedition“, He underlined, calling on Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities to”stop attacking the free and independent media in Hong Kong“.
The head of the Hong Kong executive, Carrie Lam replied Thursday to share her feeling that the “journalism is not sedition“, But the seditious acts”cannot be tolerated under the pretext of reporting“. These measures “have nothing to do with the so-called crackdown on press freedom or democracy, as some claim“, did she say. Hong Kong National Security Police Chief Steve Li accused Stand News on Wednesday of posting articles and blog posts “seditious“Between July 2020 and November 2021.”They described protesters in Hong Kong as ‘missing’ or ‘raped’ … These are vicious allegations without any factual basisSteve Li had said.
In front of the press, the spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, Zhao Lijian, defended the closure of Stand News, explaining that “freedom of expression cannot be used as a shelter for criminal activity“. “Some foreign forces, under the guise of defending press freedom, have engaged in irresponsible comments“, He denounced.
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