Two former editors of Stand News in Hong Kong have been sentenced to up to 21 months in prison for conspiring to publish seditious articles, marking a historic case in the city.
Former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, 55, and ex-acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-tung, 36, were found guilty and sentenced by the District Court, with Lam being immediately released due to a rare medical condition.
Chung received a 21-month jail term, while Lam initially faced 14 months but had three months deducted for medical reasons. The pair had been incarcerated during the trial, with Chung due to serve 9 months and Lam avoiding 21 days in prison.
This case has sparked concerns about press freedom and the use of colonial-era laws in Hong Kong since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists in the city.