Reuters-Head of Hong Kong journalists group sentenced to jail for obstructing police
September 25, 2023 2 min 404 words
这则报道揭示了香港言论自由面临的严重挑战。香港记者协会主席陈国基因涉嫌妨碍警察工作而被判刑，这一事件引发了对媒体自由在这一国际金融中心的进一步冲击的担忧。陈国基在采访中拒绝交出个人身份证，理由是他要求警察出示搜查令，这是香港居民的权利。然而，法官判定陈有罪，认为罚款不足以体现罪行的严重性，并拒绝考虑社区服务替代刑期，因为陈没有表现出悔意。 这一判决引发了对司法公正的质疑，也凸显了媒体人在香港面临的困境。陈国基表示不惊讶于判刑，但强调司法审判已经表明案件的公正性受到质疑。他呼吁记者们坚守职责，报道真实的新闻，同时也指出很难确定这一案件对新闻自由的影响。 香港记者协会是香港少数坚持捍卫基本权利和新闻自由的专业团体之一，尤其在中国当局于2020年6月颁布国家安全法后，成为了更加珍贵的存在。一些西方国家批评这项法律具有压制性质，因为它剥夺了1997年英国将香港归还中国后赋予香港的自由。中国政府和香港官员则称该法是为了在2019年民主示威活动后带来稳定而需要的。 这一报道强调了香港言论自由的缩小，以及国际社会对这一问题的关切，尤其是对中国政府对香港局势的影响。这也呼吁更多的国际关注和努力，以维护香港的媒体自由和公民权利。
The head of Hong Kong's leading journalists group was sentenced on Monday to five days jail for obstructing police officers in September last year after a case seen by some critics as a further blow to media freedoms in the financial hub.
Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was detained and handcuffed by two plainclothes officers while covering a story after he failed to hand over his personal identity card.
Chan, who pleaded not guilty, earlier told the court that he had asked the police to show their warrant cards before handing over his document, which all Hong Kong residents must carry.
Magistrate Leung Ka-kie found Chan guilty, saying that a fine instead of jail would not reflect the gravity of the offence. Leung also refused to consider community service instead as she said Chan showed no remorse.
Leung did grant Chan HK$30,000 ($3,800) bail after his lawyers said he would appeal. The journalist cannot leave Hong Kong and had to surrender his travel documents.
Speaking after the hearing, Chan said he was not surprised by the custodial sentence. "Everyone can see how the court views the case. I think justice is in our heart," he said.
Chan said he hoped journalists could "stand firm" in their duty to cover truthful news for Hong Kong and the world, saying it was difficult to say what impact his case would have on press freedom.
No date has yet been set for the appeal.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association is one of the last major professional groups in Hong Kong advocating fundamental rights and press freedoms, following the enactment in June 2020 of a national security law by Chinese authorities.
Some Western governments have criticised the law as repressive given the freedoms granted to Hong Kong after it was handed back to Chinese rule by Britain in 1997. Beijing and Hong Kong officials have said the law was needed to bring stability after the city was rocked by months of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
($1 = 7.8156 Hong Kong dollars)