The court convicted Stand News journalists for publishing seditious materials, marking a significant deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong following its return to Chinese control.
Chris Patten stated that the verdicts represent a dark day for press freedom in Hong Kong, highlighting the continuing crackdown on free media by the authorities.
The court deemed that certain articles from Stand News promoted illegal ideologies and incited hatred against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments, resulting in the convictions.
Kwok Wai-kin, the district court judge, emphasized that the ruling was based on national security concerns and the actual sociopolitical climate at the time.
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