Hong Kong’s “47” Trial: Press Freedom Figures Among Those Jailed for Subversion

In a major escalation of Beijing’s crackdown, 45 members of the pro-democracy group known as the “Hong Kong 47” were sentenced in November 2024 under the national security law. Their alleged offense: organizing democratic primary elections in 2020 to nominate Legislative Council candidates, deemed a conspiracy to “subvert state power”. Sentences range from 4 years and 2 months to 10 years, with prominent figures like legal scholar Benny Tai receiving the longest at a decade.

Significantly, three press-freedom defenders were among those imprisoned: media founder Frankie Fung, who received 4 years 5 months; former Stand News editor Patrick Lam, sentenced to 10 months for sedition; and another ex-journalist from Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen. Frankie Fung’s case, marking the first instance of a press platform leader jailed under the sweeping law, underscores how independent media are caught up in political repression.

The Hong Kong 47’s detention marks the city’s largest national security trial. Of the 47 initially charged, 31 entered guilty pleas, two were acquitted, and 14 were convicted after a full trial. All have now been sentenced, following years of pre-trial detention, non-jury trials, and courtroom restrictions.

International responses have been swift and critical: the U.S., U.K., EU, Japan, and others condemned the sentencing, calling it a political suppression of dissent and an erosion of Hong Kong’s rule of law. The Hong Kong and Chinese governments defended the action as essential to national security.

For press freedom advocates, the cases of Frankie Fung and Patrick Lam are deeply concerning. Lam’s sentencing—under a colonial-era sedition law in September 2024—marks the first time a former Stand News journalist has been given prison time, a move Philip Bowring and Amnesty International called “a dark day for press freedom.” Frankie Fung’s imprisonment demonstrates a deliberate effort to suppress media leadership.

Overall, these developments signal an intensified suppression of dissent and independent journalism in Hong Kong. Legal experts warn this broad application of national security and sedition laws is not just criminalizing political expression—it’s fundamentally reshaping the space for journalism and civic discourse.