The chairman of Hong Kong’s leading journalist group gets jail term for obstructing a police officer

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — The chairman of Hong Kong’s leading journalist group received a five-day jail term after he was found guilty of obstructing a police officer on Monday in a court case that sparked concerns about the city’s declining press freedom. Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was arrested last September while he was on his way to a reporting assignment. He was accused of refusing to show the plainclothes officer his identity card upon request. His case fuelled concerns about the erosion of media freedom in Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a national security law to crush dissent following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Chan said justice lies in people’s hearts.