Hong Kong: Ronson Chan charged with obstructing police
NUJ condemns decision to charge Chair of Hong Kong Journalists Association following arrest on 7 September.
The National Union of Journalists has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in urging authorities to drop all charges against Chan.
Earlier this month, police officers arrested the journalist stating he refused to present an identification card and was ‘uncooperative’. The union condemned his arrest and notes the charge against him comes one week before a planned fellowship at Oxford university.
Chan told reporters he received threats from police including “let’s see when you will die”, despite acting within his rights to request warrant cards before providing ID.
The IFJ has documented efforts by authorities to close advocacy groups over recent years and the Hong Kong Journalists Association is one of the few remaining media organisations in the country since national security law was introduced in 2020.
The IFJ said:
“As independent journalists are silenced and media outlets and associations are rapidly shuttered across Hong Kong, the nation’s administration must halt its persecution of press freedom and safeguard the rights of media workers. The IFJ strongly commends the arbitrary legal harassment and intimidation of Ronson Chan and calls for all charges against him to be immediately and unconditionally dropped.”