After a police raid and the detention of seven current and former staff members, Hong Kong pro-democracy media organization Stand News announced its closure on Wednesday, the latest blow to the city’s quickly dwindling press freedoms. Following the massive and often violent democratic protests of 2019 and Beijing’s subsequent installation of a comprehensive national security ordinance, repression of the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s local press has risen.
On Wednesday morning, police raided Stand News’ office, confiscating phones, computers, papers, and thousands of cash, as well as transporting its acting editor-in-chief into the headquarters in handcuffs. “Stand News will cease operations immediately due to the current scenario,” the station announced later in a Facebook statement.
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Sedition is not included in a broad national security statute enacted by Beijing in June 2020, which punishes terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion, and secession with life sentences. However, subsequent court decisions have allowed authorities to use the new legislation’s authority to invoke rarely used colonial-era sedition provisions. Stand News had published news and comments encouraging hostility towards authorities, according to Steve Li, the head of the police national security section.
Sedition is not included in a broad national security statute enacted by Beijing in June 2020, which punishes terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion, and secession with life sentences. However, subsequent court decisions have allowed authorities to use the new legislation’s authority to invoke rarely used colonial-era sedition provisions. Stand News had published news and comments encouraging hostility towards authorities, according to Steve Li, the head of the police national security section.
