Hong Kong Independent Journalist Arrested on Sedition Charges Over Anniversary Coverage

Hong Kong police have arrested an independent journalist on suspicion of incitement by spreading disinformation, according to local media reports. Tang Ho-wing, the founder of online outlet Boom News, was detained on Wednesday morning, as reported by Hong Kong news outlet Sing Tao, which also featured a photograph capturing the moment of the arrest.

Boom News had recently covered an event on August 31 marking the seventh anniversary of the Prince Edward station clash—a 2019 confrontation between antigovernment protesters and police where demonstrators had alleged fatalities occurred. The outlet, boasting over 66,000 followers on Instagram, published a video containing a woman's testimony regarding those past events. Authorities have consistently denied these claims, with police reiterating on Wednesday that rumors of deaths stemming from the clash are entirely baseless.

Journalists in Hong Kong are confronting escalating restrictions resulting from sweeping political transformations initiated by Beijing’s 2020 national security law and further reinforced by a local 2024 statute. The severe impact on press freedom became starkly evident in February when Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai received a 20-year prison sentence, alongside prison terms ranging from nearly seven to 10 years handed to several of his former staff members.

On Wednesday, law enforcement announced the arrest of two individuals on suspicion of committing seditious acts under the 2024 national security law. While police withheld the suspects' names, the South China Morning Post identified the second detainee as activist Lee Ying-chi. Officials stated that the arrests originated from an August 31 gathering outside a subway station, where participants laid flowers, chanted prohibited slogans, and allegedly disseminated disinformation designed to foster hatred toward the government and police. Meanwhile, six other individuals previously arrested in connection with the same incident have been released on bail.