The Hong Kong government and legislature have condemned Reporters Without Borders (RSF) after the city was ranked low in the NGO’s annual press freedom index . This photograph, taken on June 19, 2015, shows media tycoon Jimmy Lai gesturing during an interview in Hong Kong. File photo: Philippe Lopez/AFP. They also hit out after German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) awarded jailed media tycoon and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai a press freedom prize.
In RSF’s 2026 global press freedom index, released on Thursday, Hong Kong was ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories – the same position as last year. The press freedom NGO highlighted the 20-year sentence handed down to Lai, who was convicted last year under the security law.
On the same day, DW – which accepts German federal funding – presented its 12th Freedom of Speech Award to the imprisoned 78-year-old.
Efforts to ‘slander, smear’
In response, the Hong Kong government issued a press release on Friday, saying it “strongly condemned the attempts by an anti-China organisation and foreign media to sugarcoat the criminal acts of national security offender [Jimmy] Lai Chee-ying and to slander, smear, as well as attack the HKSAR by releasing a so-called press freedom index and presenting a so-called ‘award’. Such despicable behaviours totally disregarded the rule of law and twisted the facts, which must be strongly condemned.”
It cited 156 days of public hearings and 2,220 pieces of evidence during Lai’s trial. “These are the testaments to the fact that Lai Chee-ying and other defendants were found guilty only after a fair trial,” it said. Hong Kong government’s headquarters in Tamar. Photo: GovHK. “The suggestion that any persons or organisations with certain backgrounds should be immune from legal sanctions for their illegal acts and activities is tantamount to granting such persons privileges to break the law and is totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.”
Lai’s trial was overseen by security law judges selected by the city’s leader. He was denied his first choice of lawyer.
The statement added that Lai had “colluded with foreign forces to beg for sanctions and engaged in hostile activities,” with the court hearing that Lai had sought to invite sanctions upon the territory through his media platforms and appearances.
The press release named RSF, claiming that the NGO is funded by the US and EU and that its rankings lack credibility. The government also called RSF “a tool for anti-China forces.” Journalists in Hong Kong. File photo: GovHK. The same condemnation was echoed hours later by the Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat. In a separate statement , the LegCo Secretariat said it “strongly condemned the release of a so-called press freedom index by a foreign media organisation and presentation of a so-called award to the national security offender Lai Chee-ying to sugarcoat his criminal acts, and smear the press freedom and rule of law” in Hong Kong. “LegCo urges the international community to recognise the facts and immediately stop making any groundless, fact-distorting, misleading and malicious attacks against Hong Kong,” it added.
Defending journalism ‘not anti-China’
RSF’s Aleksandra Bielakowska – who was denied entry to the city in 2024 – responded to the Hong Kong authorities in a LinkedIn post on Saturday. Reporters Without Borders’ Asia-Pacific Bureau Advocacy Officer Aleksandra Bielakowska. Photo: RSF. “To make it clear once again: defending journalism is not ‘anti-China’; it is pro–press freedom,” she said. “At RSF, we stand arm in arm with Hong Kong journalists. We will not be intimidated and we continue supporting all media in Hong Kong, with the hope that one day we will see positive change and that the city will return to its golden years as an exemplar and beacon of press freedom.”
At 140th place on RSF’s press freedom index, between Rwanda and Syria, Hong Kong remains in the “red zone” – meaning a “very serious” situation. In 2002, the city was in 18th place, and in 2019, it was at 73rd place. But between 2021 and 2022, it fell from 80 to 148, after Apple Daily and other independent media outlets shuttered amid the onset of the security legislation.
Hong Kong has plummeted in international press freedom indices since the onset of the 2020 and 2024 security laws . Watchdogs cite the arrest and jailing of journalists , raids on newsrooms and the closure of around 10 media outlets including Apple Daily , Stand News and Citizen News . Over 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, whilst many have emigrated . Meanwhile, the city’s government-funded broadcaster RTHK has adopted new editorial guidelines , purged its archives and axed news and satirical shows. See also: Explainer: Hong Kong’s press freedom under the national security law In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee said press freedom was “in the pocket” of Hongkongers but “nobody is above the law.” Although he has told the press to “ tell a good Hong Kong story ,” government departments have been reluctant to respond to story pitches .