Hong Kong: Journalist Bao Choy’s Trial Postponed To January 14, 2021.
Location: China, Hong Kong
Date: November 12, 2020
Investigative journalist and reporter Bao Choy stands trial over charges of making false statements when seeking access to data. The trial was adjourned until January 14, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by these constant infringements of press freedom and calls for a retraction of these accusations.
On November 3, Bao was arrested for investigating police misconduct and was released the same day. Bao made a report about police and authorities' delayed response to a mob attack against anti-government protesters on July 21. She examined footage from the event, identifying several vehicles parked close to the suspected gang members. Using a registration database, she and her colleagues obtained information about the owners of those vehicles and contacted them for their comments on the matter.
On November 10, Bao appeared in court over the allegations of making a false statement to obtain data. If found guilty, Choy could face six months in prison and a fine of up to HK$5,000 ($645).
Bao stated in a press conference on Tuesday: “many scholars, unions, and lawyers are concerned whether the police are using the law to suppress press freedom in Hong Kong… whether journalists will still be free to obtain public information in the future," as she urged the government to listen to the voice and opinion of society.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association released a statement regarding Bao’s trial, explaining how checking publicly accessible databases, such as vehicle registration, is a common investigative tool employed by journalists in Hong Kong.
The charges against Bao are a clear breach of press freedom and represent a threat to journalists working in Hong Kong. It puts them under pressure, with constant threats of legal harassment and intimidation.
Bao is an award-winning investigative journalist. She works at Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses its utmost concern for journalist Bao Choy and calls upon the authorities to refrain from targeting journalists for simply doing their job. The CFWIJ urges Chinese authorities to drop the charges against Bao immediately.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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