Ronson Chan, a veteran journalist and former chairperson of The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), was jailed for five days on May 29, 2026, after losing his appeal against a 2023 conviction for obstructing a police officer.
Chan was arrested on September 7, 2022, while reporting on a residents’ meeting in Mong Kok district for online news outlet Channel C. According to police, Chan refused to take out his identification card in a timely manner despite multiple requests from plainclothes officers at the meeting.
On September 25, 2023, a Hong Kong court found him guilty of obstructing police and sentenced him to five days’ imprisonment. Chan appealed the decision and was granted bail.
The Hong Kong High Court dismissed his appeal on May 29, 2026, and ordered him to be sent to prison immediately.
Chan has worked for a variety of local newspapers and news sites in Hong Kong since starting his journalism career in 2003. He previously served as deputy assignment editor at the now-defunct news outlet Stand News.
On December 28, 2021, he was among six people affiliated with the news site who were arrested during a national security police raid on the newsroom. Chan was not ultimately prosecuted in the case, but two former Stand News editors were convicted and sentenced to prison for conspiracy to publish seditious material.
Under Chan’s leadership between 2021-24, the HKJA repeatedly raised concerns about journalists’ safety and press freedom in the city following Beijing’s introduction of the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020.
The Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to CPJ’s email request for comment regarding Chan’s case.