a Hong Kong court on Thursday found two editors at the now defunct stand news media Outlet guilty of sedition this is the first sedition conviction against any journalist or editor since Hong Kong's Handover from Britain to China in 1997 the case has received International scrutiny amid a security Crackdown in the China ruled City the two editors Chung POI kunun and Patrick lamb who wasn't there for the verdict could face a maximum jail term of 2 years stand news was once a leading online media platform in Hong Kong featuring a mix of critical reportage and commentary and critics of this case including the US government say the verdict reflects deteriorating media freedoms in the city stand news was raided by police in December 2021 and had its assets Frozen leading to its closure a few days later the editors and the Outlet's parent company were all charged with conspiracy to publish seditious Publications in connection with 17 news articles and commentaries from July 2020 to December 2021 the Articles included commentaries written by exiled activists the editors pleaded not guilty during the 57-day trial the government prosecutor said Stan news had acted as a political platform to promote quote illegal ideologies and incited readers hatred against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments when testifying in court Chung said the site had simply sought to reflect a spectrum of voices including pro-democracy Advocates the judge wrote in a summary that the court had considered quote the potential damage to National Security in its ruling on seditious intent