According to the latest figures from the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), at least 49 journalists have been arrested since the 2019 anti-extradition protests. Of those, 32 have been prosecuted, with 24 being convicted or pleading guilty. As of early 2024, nine remained incarcerated.
These stark numbers came as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its annual World Press Freedom Index, which for the first time placed Hong Kong in the “red zone” — denoting a situation classified as “very serious”. Hong Kong is now ranked 140th out of 180 countries, on par with China and North Korea.
RSF attributed Hong Kong’s dramatic fall in ranking to the arrest of journalists and the passage of the National Security Law, which it claims has created new tools for suppressing dissent.
One of the most notable cases involves former Stand News editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, who were convicted in September 2024 of conspiring to publish seditious publications, marking the first time journalists in Hong Kong have been jailed simply for carrying out journalistic work.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has continued to crack down on Apple Daily since the National Security Law was enacted in June 2020. Jimmy Lai, the founder has remained in custody without bail since 3 December 2020, a total of more than 1,620 days. He is currently serving a five-year, nine-month sentence for fraud, and his national security trial, in which he faces charges of collusion with foreign forces, has lasted over 140 days and is scheduled to conclude with final submissions in August.
Six other Apple Daily editorial and executive staff members have also been charged with the same offence, including former Next Digital CEO Cheung Kim-hung, ex-deputy publisher Chan Pui-man, and several former editors. All six have pleaded guilty but are awaiting sentencing pending the verdict of Lai’s trial. As of 20 May, two of them have been in detention for 1,433 days, while the remaining four have been held for 1,399 days.
Aside from the Apple Daily case, HKJA has documented a growing number of legal actions targeting smaller digital outlets and student-run media. These include the cases of independent journalist Tsang Chun-hei and former City University student editor Gary Wong, who were both charged for their coverage of 2019 demonstrations. The charges include unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons, and illegal entry into the Legislative Council. The penalties have varied from imprisonment to fines.
In recent years, the National Security Law and associated regulations have upended Hong Kong’s media scene. Reporting the truth has become increasingly dangerous as government suppress press freedom.
Despite these threats, a new generation of journalists continues to push forward. According to the HKJA, at least 26 new digital media outlets have opened in Hong Kong or abroad since the NSL era began, demonstrating the profession’s resilience. Despite working under an increasingly authoritarian climate, many journalists remain committed to telling the truth.