Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison in national security case

Hong Kong — Hong Kong (AP) – Jimmy brought pro-democracy east hong kong media tycoon And a fierce critic of Beijing was sentenced to 20 years in prison in one of the most prominent cases prosecuted under a national security law imposed by China, virtually silencing dissent in the city.

Judge Esther Toh said Lai’s 18-year sentence should be served at the same time as his prison term for the fraud case, for which he was sentenced to five years and nine months. Lai can appeal his case. His co-defendants received prison sentences ranging between 6 years, 3 months, and 10 years.

Three judges vetted by the government spared Lai, 78, from the maximum sentence of life in prison on charges of conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. He was convicted in December. Given his age, a prison sentence could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Lai looked serious before leaving the courtroom as some people cried in the public gallery. Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen sat next to Lai’s wife when he arrived at the sentencing hearing.

The arrest and trial of a democracy supporter has raised concerns about the decline of press freedom Which was once the Asian bastion of media freedom. The government insists that the case has nothing to do with a free press, stating that the defendants have used news reporting for years as a pretext to carry out acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.

One of the first prominent figures to face arrest under the security law in 2020 was Lai. Within a year, some senior Apple Daily journalists were also arrested. Forced to face police raids, lawsuits and confiscation of its assets and closure of the newspaper in June 2021. Final version: one million copies sold.

Lai’s sentencing could increase Beijing’s diplomatic tensions with foreign governments. his conviction has been pulled criticism from America and the UK.

US President Donald Trump said he felt “very bad” after the verdict and said he spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about Lai and “asked him to consider his release. ” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s The government has also called for the release of Lai, who is a British citizen.

Lai’s daughter, Claire, told the Associated Press that she hoped authorities would see the wisdom in releasing her Roman Catholic father. He said that his faith is in God. “We will not stop fighting until he is freed,” he said.

He expressed his determination to fight against the governments of Hong Kong and Beijing.

Lai founded Apple Daily, a now-defunct newspaper known for its critical reporting against the governments of Hong Kong and Beijing. He was arrested in August 2020 under security law which has been used for years. On several prominent Hong Kong activists.

During his 156-day trial, prosecutors accused him of conspiring with Six former Apple Daily employees The two urge activists and other foreign powers to impose sanctions or blockades against Hong Kong or China or engage in other hostile activities. lye testified for 52 days. In his defence, he argued that he had not called for foreign sanctions after the law was enacted.

In December, judges ruled that Lai was the mastermind of the plots and never wavered in his intention to destabilise the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He took issue with their “continued invitation” to the United States to topple the Chinese government under the pretext of helping Hong Kongers.

Urania Chiu, a law lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, said the case is significant for the broader construction of seditious intent and the media’s use of the term “collusion with foreign powers” for certain activities. He said this implication is particularly worrying for journalists and those working in education.

Chiu said, “Offering and publishing legitimate criticisms of the state, which often involves engagement with international forums and audiences, can now easily be construed as ‘collusion’.”

Lai is serving about six years. He has been sentenced to jail and has been in custody for more than five years on fraud charges in a separate case. In January, attorney Robert Pang said Lai faced health problems. Which includes heart palpitations, high blood pressure and diabetes. Although Lai’s condition was not life-threatening, Pang argued his client’s health, age, and solitary confinement, which the prosecution said Lai had requested, would make his sentence “more burdensome.”.

The prosecution said a medical report stated that Lai’s general health condition remained stable.

Lai’s case involved former Apple Daily employees and activists entering a guilty plea, which could help in reducing his sentence to be given on Monday. Under the security law, reporting on crimes committed by others can lead to reduced penalties and some staff members are required to serve as witnesses for the prosecution.

The convicted journalists include publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, acting editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, acting editor-in-chief responsible for English news, Fung Wai-kong, and editorial writer Yeung Ching-ki.

Two activists convicted in the case, Andy Lee and Chan Tsz-wah, also testified for the prosecution.

Before sunrise, dozens of people were lining up outside the court building to secure a seat in the courtroom.

Former Apple Daily employee Tammy Cheung said she could support him spiritually just by seeing him. Cheung hopes the defendants will be released from prison soon, saying it would be wonderful if they could be reunited with their families before the Lunar New Year next week.

He said, “No matter what happens, this is the end – at least we will know the outcome.”

Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony. The publication gained a strong following with reports that were sometimes sensational, investigative scoops and short, animated video reports. Articles supporting the city’s democracy movement, including the anti-government protests that rocked the city in 2019, attracted many pro-democracy readers.

In 2022, Hong Kong fell 68 places to 148th out of 180 territories in a press-freedom index compiled by the media freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders. The city’s latest ranking was 140th, up from 18th in 2002.