Paris: A leading international press freedom organisation strongly condemned the imprisonment of a senior journalist and former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HJKA), Ronson Chan, on charges of “obstructing a police officer”, warning that the ruling sets a “dangerous precedent” and undermines press freedom in Hong Kong.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Chan, former deputy assignment editor of the now-defunct Hong Kong-based Stand News, lost his appeal against the conviction for “obstructing a police officer” on Friday and was sentenced to five days in prison, which took effect immediately.
The group stated that Chan was initially arrested in September 2022 while covering a homeowners’ meeting at a residential estate in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok area for independent media Channel C, after questioning a plainclothes police officer who attempted to obstruct his reporting, alleging Chan was acting “suspiciously”.
“The imprisonment of Ronson Chan, a leading figure in independent journalism in Hong Kong, on trumped-up charges, demonstrates how far the authorities are willing to go to silence independent media. The verdict sets a dangerous precedent, effectively giving the police a free hand and further eroding already dismantled press freedoms,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, Advocacy Manager, RSF Asia Pacific.
The group noted that Chan previously served as a deputy assignment editor at Stand News, a non-profit Chinese-language news outlet once regarded as the second most influential independent media outlet after Apple Daily. The publication, it said, was forced to shut down following a police raid in 2021, during which six of its journalists were arrested, while editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam were later sentenced to prison terms.
Meanwhile, the RSF highlighted that HJKA – a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting press freedom and supporting journalism in Hong Kong –since 1968, has been subjected to numerous attacks over the past decade by the government and pro-Beijing supporters.
“HKJA is one of the last remaining independent organisations that operates in the city, despite continued pressure to toe the line, including random tax audits, surveillance and doxing,” it added.
Highlighting the worsening state of press freedom in Hong Kong, the RSF said that the authorities have prosecuted at least 28 journalists since 2020, with nine currently in detention. The organisation noted that Hong Kong has dropped from 18th place in 2002 to 140th in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, while China ranks 178th out of 180 countries.
(IANS)
