Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil organizers given sentences of up to 7 years

A Hong Kong court found Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, guilty on Thursday of attempting to block journalist Selina Cheng from becoming head of a press union. The court ruled that the company had unlawfully prevented Cheng from exercising her right to run for the chairpersonship of the Hong Kong Journalists Association under the city's Trade Unions Ordinance.

However, the court acquitted Dow Jones of unlawfully firing Cheng in July 2024 after she refused to sever ties with the Hong Kong Journalists Association and advocate for press freedom.

Cheng claims her case has raised awareness of union suppression in Hong Kong. She told reporters that her former employer had no right to require employees to consult with them before joining a union. If their rights are not protected and violated, "we can no longer work safely as reporters," she said.

The court found no evidence that the company had dismissed Cheng as part of a genuine corporate restructuring, resulting in an acquittal on the second charge. The company, which was found guilty of the first charge, was fined HK$100,000 ($12,750) and is evaluating its next steps. The Wall Street Journal has faced a significant shift in its Asia operations, moving its center of gravity from Hong Kong to Singapore, leading to some colleagues leaving Hong Kong.