A Hong Kong court has sentenced a former editor of a now-defunct online media platform to 21 months in prison for inciting hatred against authorities.
The court handed down the sentence to former Stand News editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen on Thursday.
The court last month found Chung and another former senior editor of the news outlet guilty of conspiring to publish seditious materials.
It allowed the second former editor to be released on health grounds in the sentencing.
Stand News, which was known for its editorial line critical of authorities, posted many articles related to pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong.
The two former editors were among those arrested when police raided Stand News in 2021, a move that led to the closure of the news organization.
Hong Kong’s national security law took effect in 2020 to crack down on activities deemed by authorities to be anti-government. Authorities have since ratcheted up their suppression of media outlets critical of them. Many of the organizations were forced to shut down.
They included the Apple Daily newspaper. Its founder, Jimmy Lai, is currently on trial on charges of violating the territory’s national security law. The accusations include colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security.
Hong Kong authorities have gone further to curtail freedom of speech after a national security ordinance came into force in March. It has toughened penalties for inciting hatred against authorities.