a Hong Kong Court convicted two former editors of a shuttered news Outlet on Thursday in a sedition case widely seen as a barometer for the future of media freedoms in a city once hailed as a Bastion of Free Press in Asia stand news former editor and chief Chung puun and former acting editor and chief Patrick lamb were arrested in December 2021 they pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to publish and reproduce sedici Publications their trial was Hong Kong's first involving the media since the former British Colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 danan news was one of the city's last media Outlets that openly criticized the government Amit a Crackdown on descent that followed massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 it was shut down just months after the pro-democracy Apple Daily Newspaper whose jailed founder Jimmy Li is fighting collusion charges under a sweeping National Security Law enacted in 2020 Chong and lamb were charged under a colonial air a sedition law used in increasingly to crush dissidents they face up to 2 years in prison in a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollar about $640 for a first offense best pencil Hong Kong Limited the outlets holding company was convicted on the same charge it had no Representatives during the trial which began in October 2022 judge quac wein said in his written judgment that Stan news became a tool for smearing the Beijing and Hong Kong governments during the 2019 protest tests he said a conviction is deemed proportional when speech in the relevant context is deemed to have caused potential damage to National Security and intents to seriously undermine the authority of the Chinese central government or the Hong Kong government and that it must be stopped the case was centered on 17 articles prosecutors said some promoted illegal ideologies or smeared the security law and Law Enforcement Officers judge quac ruled that 11 carried seditious intent including commentaries written WR by activist Nathan law and esteemed journalists alen o and chan puan chan is also Chung's wife danan news shut down in December 2021 following a police raid at its office and the arrests armed with a warrant to seize relevant journalistic materials more than 200 officers participated in the operation Hong Kong was ranked 135 out of 180 territories in reporters without Border's latest World Press Freedom index down from 80 in 2021 self ship has also become more prominent during the political Crackdown on descent in March the city government enacted another new security law that raised concerns it could further curtail press Freedom some of the Court's logic differs from how journalists typically think he said journalists may have to be more cautious from now on Eric Li a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian law said the ruling is in line with the anti-free speech trend of rulings since the 2020 security law took effect criminalizing journalists carrying out their professional duties foreign governments criticized the convictions US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller wrote on X that it was a direct attack on media freedom however Eric Chan Hong Kong's Chief secretary for administration insisted that when journalists conduct their reporting based on facts there would not be any restrictions on such Freedom Steve Lee Chief superintendent of the police National Security Department told reporter the ruling showed their enforcement 3 years ago criticized by some as a suppression of Free Press was necessary click subscribe to the channel to receive more interesting information goodbye and see you soon