-
Convicted Hong Kong journalist wins press award for investigation

A Hong Kong journalist who was prosecuted over investigating an attack on democracy supporters by government loyalists won a prestigious press prize on Thursday, even after her employer backed out of the awards.
Bao Choy, a former producer with Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK, was found guilty last month of “knowingly making a false statement” to access number plate ownership records -- a conviction that was decried by media groups as an assault on public interest journalism.
On Thursday, Choy and five colleagues won the Chinese-language documentary award at the annual Human Rights Press Awards for their work “Who Owns the Truth?”.
The awards recognize human rights reporting across Asia and have been running for 25 years.
Judges praised the RTHK documentary for “chasing the smallest clues, interrogating the powerful without fear or favor”, and described the 23-minute documentary as “an investigative reporting classic”.
The July 2019 attack in the district of Yuen Long by a gang of men armed with clubs -- and the police’s failure to respond quickly enough -- was a turning point in the huge and often violent pro-democracy protests that year, further hammering public trust in the police force and city leaders.
RTHK used footage from witnesses and security cameras -- as well as number plate searches and interviews -- to piece together events.
It uncovered new details about the alleged attackers, some of whom have links to politically influential rural committees that support Beijing.
It also said that police failed to respond to the build-up of stick-wielding men, ferried into the district by specific vehicles that evening hours before the attack.
Police have rejected any accusation their officers failed the public that night and senior officers have since sought to recast the ambush as an evenly matched melee between two opposing sides.
Hong Kong maintains a publicly accessible license plate database long used by journalists, including pro-Beijing news outlets.
But authorities introduced a rule change that meant journalists were no longer allowed to make searches.
Choy, 37, faced up to six months in jail but was ultimately fined HK$6,000 ($770). She plans to appeal her conviction.
Beijing has made no secret of its desire to see Hong Kong’s critical media tamed and RTHK has increasingly found itself a government target.
Authorities have ordered an overhaul of the broadcaster, including the recent appointment of a career civil servant as its new head who has since pulled multiple shows for “one-sided views” and “inaccuracies”.
RTHK suspended Choy after her November arrest and did not contribute to her legal defense.
It also announced it had withdrawn from all press award entries but many award organizations, including HRPA, declined to accept the withdrawal.
Earlier this week RTHK fired reporter Nabela Qoser who had become famous for her aggressive questioning of officials at press conferences.
source: AFP
Image source: Reuters
Levant
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!