Two former senior editors arrested in a Hong Kong police crackdown on a pro-democracy media organisation have been charged with conspiring to publish seditious material, authorities say.
, froze its assets and arrested seven current and former senior editors and former board members.
Media advocacy groups and some Western governments criticised the raid and arrests as a sign of further erosion of press freedoms since China imposed a sweeping national security law in the former British colony last year.
But Beijing hit out at "irresponsible" criticism of the arrests after the US, Canada, and the EU condemned the raid on their office and China's wide-ranging crackdown on press freedom in the semi-autonomous city.
"Some external forces, under the guise of media freedom, have been making irresponsible remarks about law enforcement in Hong Kong," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a briefing, adding that it "wholly confuses right and wrong, and misleads public opinion."
The publication posted on Facebook announcing it was ceasing operations.
Police did not identify the two people charged or the company, but a charge sheet filed at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court and seen by Reuters identified them as former Stand News chief editor Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, acting chief editor.
The same charge of conspiring "to publish and/or reproduce seditious publications" was levelled against Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited, the organisation behind Stand News.
Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise that wide-ranging individual rights, including a free press, would be protected.
But pro-democracy activists and rights groups say freedoms have been eroded, in particular since China imposed the new national security law after months of at times violent pro-democracy protests.
Hong Kong's government denies that and its leader, Carrie Lam, said the action against Stand News was aimed at seditious activity not the suppression of the media.
"These actions have nothing to do with so-called suppression of press freedom," Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam told reporters.
"Journalism is not seditious ... but seditious activities could not be condoned under the guise of news reporting."
Set up in 2014 as a non-profit organisation, Stand News was the most prominent remaining pro-democracy publication in Hong Kong after a .
Stand News shut down hours after the raid and all of its employees were dismissed. Its website was not accessible on Thursday and its London bureau chief, Yeung Tin Shui, said on Facebook his office had also closed.
Four former members of the Stand News board - former democratic legislator Margaret Ng, pop singer Denise Ho, Chow Tat-chi and Christine Fang - remain in police detention. Mr Chung's wife, Chan Pui-man, formerly with Apple Daily, was re-arrested in prison.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release those arrested.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said releasing the arrested people would be against the law. Source: Kydpl Kyodo
Ms Lam, referring to Mr Blinken's call, said that would be against the rule of law.
Beijing's main representative office in the city, the Hong Kong Liaison Office, said Stand News was an "out-and-out political organisation" that "kept publishing articles that incited others to use violence and even split the country".
The Chinese foreign ministry's Hong Kong office said support for press freedom was being used as an excuse to disrupt stability in the city.
"Those who engage in activities that endanger national security and undermine the rule of law and public order under the cover of journalism are the black sheep tarnishing the press freedom and will be held accountable," it said in a statement.
