By THEODORA YU AND SHIBANI MAHTANI | The Washington Post | Published: April 22, 2021
HONG KONG — An award-winning Hong Kong journalist was found guilty of a crime Thursday for using a public database to expose police failings, the first time a member of the news media has faced prosecution in the Chinese territory for an act of reporting.
The verdict against 37-year-old Choy Yuk-ling, also known as Bao Choy, highlights the deterioration of media freedoms in Hong Kong, supposedly protected under the law, as China remodels the city after imposing a draconian national security law.
"This prosecution is part of a continuing strategy by the government of using the legal system to crack down on dissent, which now includes anyone — including investigative journalists — who attempts to challenge the government's official narrative," said Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based lawyer and writer.