Hong Kong pro-democracy leader Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years
– Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and founder of the now-closed Apple Daily, was sentenced too 20 years in prison under China’s national security law for colluding with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiring to publish seditious materials. He was convicted in December for actions tied to his pro-democracy advocacy and journalism during the 2019–2020 protests.
– Lai’s 20-year sentence is the longest handed down under the NSL. Six former Apple Daily employees were also sentenced, with terms ranging from six to ten years.
– Lai has spent more than five years in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison. He is a British citizen, and his health has raised humanitarian concerns, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure. The United Kingdom has urged his release on humanitarian grounds, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
– Western nations and human rights groups condemned the punishment, while Beijing called the case an internal matter and urged others to respect Hong Kong’s court decision.A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman emphasized sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong kong.
– The case highlights the ongoing crackdown on Hong Kong protests after 2019–2020 and the broader tightening of Beijing’s control over the semiautonomous territory. the article notes various political reactions,including U.S. commentary from then-President Trump and a bipartisan push in the U.S. to close Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices.
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years
Hong Kong‘s legal system sentenced pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on Monday after he was charged with violating China‘s national security law.
In December, Lai was convicted of colluding with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiring to publish seditious materials. Lai, a British citizen, pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from his pro-democracy advocacy and journalism amid the anti-government protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.
Beijing cracked down on the demonstrations at the time, imprisoning thousands of people for protesting China’s control over Hong Kong. The Chinese territory is considered semiautonomous. Lai was one of many who were later prosecuted and convicted.
Lai, 78, is known for running the shuttered Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, which was known for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. He has already spent more than five years in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison after initially being arrested in 2020 on fraud charges.
Lai’s new 20-year sentence marks the longest under China’s national security law.
Six former Apple Daily employees were also sentenced on Monday, with their terms ranging from six to 10 years.
Hong Kong leaders welcomed Lai’s punishment, while Western nations and human rights groups were appalled.
The United Kingdom is calling on Hong Kong to release Lai on humanitarian grounds over his ailing health conditions, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed Lai’s imprisonment with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing late last month.
President Donald Trump has indicated he is aware of Lai’s situation, although he hasn’t taken further action to force Beijing to release him beyond asking Xi to consider it.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry insisted Lai’s sentence is an internal matter and that other countries should respect the Hong Kong court’s decision.
CHINA CONVICTS HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER JIMMY LAI OF SEDITION
“We urge relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty and abide by the rule of law in Hong Kong,” the spokesman said. “They must not make irresponsible remarks about” Hong Kong’s legal proceedings.
Beijing’s response came after Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) issued a statement urging his colleagues to pass a bipartisan bill that would close Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco.
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