Hong Kong court docket denies bail to former Stand News editors billed with sedition

HONG KONG, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Two former senior editors of Hong Kong’s Stand Information had been charged with conspiring to publish seditious components and denied bail by a court on Thursday, a day immediately after a law enforcement raid on the professional-democracy media business that prompted its closure.

About 200 officers raided the on the internet publication’s place of work, froze its assets and arrested 7 present and previous senior editors and former board associates on Wednesday.

Media advocacy groups and some Western governments criticised the raid and arrests as a signal of more erosion of push freedoms considering the fact that China imposed a sweeping national safety law in the former British colony previous calendar year. examine much more

Magistrate Peter Regulation in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courtroom denied bail applications for previous Stand Information main editor Chung Pui-kuen and performing main editor Patrick Lam. Hong Kong legal guidelines prohibit media protection of bail hearings.

Together with Very best Pencil (Hong Kong) Minimal, the corporate entity driving Stand News, the two adult males were charged with conspiring “to publish and/or reproduce seditious publications,” in accordance to the demand sheet.

4 previous members of the Stand Information board – previous democratic legislator and barrister Margaret Ng, pop star Denise Ho, Chow Tat-chi and Christine Fang – had been introduced on law enforcement bail pending additional investigations. They had been not charged however.

Police mentioned all 4 are thanks to report to law enforcement in late March.

Ng advised reporters as she remaining the police station that, “continuing to care for every single other is really essential”.

Ho, a Canadian citizen, remaining with out comment.

The 7 people today arrested on Wednesday also integrated Chung’s wife, Chan Pui-guy. Formerly a senior editor with the professional-democracy Apple Every day newspaper, she was now getting held in prison on various charges and was re-arrested there.

Reuters could not get to Most effective Pencil or any of the seven arrested on Wednesday or their lawful reps for comment.

PROMISED Rights

Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee that wide-ranging person rights, together with a free push, would be shielded.

But professional-democracy activists and rights teams say freedoms have been eroded, in distinct because China imposed the new national stability regulation following months of at periods violent professional-democracy protests.

U.S. Secretary of Condition Antony Blinken explained Wednesday’s arrests as unjust and known as on Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to “cease focusing on Hong Kong’s absolutely free and independent media,” declaring it undermined the money hub’s believability. study extra

Hong Kong’s government denies targeting the media and curbing its freedoms. Hong Kong Main Government Carrie Lam, said the action against Stand Information was aimed at seditious activity.

“These actions have nothing at all to do with so-referred to as suppression of push freedom,” she informed reporters. “Journalism is not seditious … but seditious routines could not be condoned below the guise of news reporting.”

‘BLACK SHEEP’

Set up in 2014 as a non-financial gain organisation, Stand Information was the most prominent remaining impartial professional-democracy publication in Hong Kong soon after a national protection investigation this year led to the closure of jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai’s Apple Every day newspaper.

Stand News shut down hrs right after the raid and all of its workforce have been dismissed. Its web page was not obtainable on Thursday and its London bureau chief, Yeung Tin-shui, mentioned on Fb his office had also shut.

Beijing’s main agent Liaison Workplace in Hong Kong, claimed Stand News was an “out-and-out political organisation” that “retained publishing articles that incited some others to use violence and even break up the country”.

The Chinese international ministry’s Hong Kong place of work explained assist for press freedom was staying used as an justification to disrupt balance in the town.

“These who have interaction in pursuits that endanger countrywide stability … below the deal with of journalism are the black sheep tarnishing the push liberty and will be held accountable,” it explained in a statement.

Extra reporting by Edmond Ng and Jessie Pang Producing by Marius Zaharia and James Pomfret
Enhancing by Christian Schmollinger, Robert Birsel, Barbara Lewis and Frances Kerry

Our Specifications: The Thomson Reuters Have faith in Rules.