Shocking Sentencing of Claudia Mo: A Call to Defend Press Freedom in Hong Kong

Women Press Freedom Condemns Claudia Mo’s Sentencing

Women Press Freedom condemns the sentencing of veteran journalist Claudia Mo to four years and two months in prison. We demand that Hong Kong authorities reverse this decision and free Mo immediately.

In August 2022, Mo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion under Beijing’s strict law. Her sentencing is part of a wider crackdown involving 46 other individuals known as the “Hong Kong 47.” These individuals were charged in 2021 for their involvement in the 2020 primary elections. Some have already spent over three years in jail.

Gwyneth Ho, a former reporter for Stand News, also received a seven-year prison sentence. She was convicted under the same law in May.

The situation for press freedom in Hong Kong is deteriorating. Journalists face severe threats and legal harassment. For example, in September 2024, Selina Cheng, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, received anonymous threats. From January 2019 to July 2024, at least 31 threats against women journalists were documented.

We call on authorities to stop using the law to attack journalists and undermine press freedom. We urge their immediate release and demand that they be allowed to work without fear of retaliation.