In a statement issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS) on Thursday 29 August, the European Union called on the Hong Kong authorities to restore confidence in press freedom in Hong Kong and to stop prosecuting journalists, following the conviction of Chung Pui-kuen and Lam Shiu-tung, two former editors of the independent online newspaper Stand News, once Hong Kong’s leading online media, and Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited, the holding company of Stand News.
The Hong Kong District Court found them guilty of conspiracy “to publish and reproduce seditious documents”.
“This latest conviction is yet another sign of declining press freedom, a fundamental right enshrined in Hong Kong’s Basic Law”, points out the EEAS, which deplores the fact that this decision is likely to further hamper the pluralistic exchange of ideas and the free flow of information.
The two former editors were remanded in custody for more than 300 days, while the trial hearing lasted 57 days instead of the scheduled 20. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)