The previous publisher of the Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison on charges of “foreign conspiracy” with the National Security Law. He was imprisoned by authorities in Hong Kong in 2020.
The National Security Law was imposed on Hong Kong by China in 2020 after wide-scale pro-democracy protests rocked the city-enclave. Following the enation of the law, China heavily clamped down on dissent and opposition in Hong Kong and the Communist Party of China retains full control of Hong Kong’s institutions.
China is obliged to respect Hong Kong’s sovereignty with the Sino-British Joint Declaration it signed in 1984. The UK relinquished control over Hong Kong in 1997.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in Parliament that the UK will ensure it keeps defending the rights and security of its citizens anywhere in the world and that it will consolidate its current immigration programmes for Hong Kong citizens. China is increasing its pressure on Hong Kong citizens even in the UK, and these pressures need to be addressed, Secretary Cooper said. She also said that several measures were taken in response to Jimmy Lai’s sentence including reducing China’s surveillance footprint in London. Jimmy Lai is also a UK citizen.
US Secretary of state Marco Rubio also urged Chinese authorities to release Mr Lai.
Dozens of other publishers and dissidents are still in jail or awaiting trial in Hong Kong. Other publishers have been abducted to China while others have disappeared.
Below, feature of Human Rights Watch.
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