Jimmy Lai, one of Hong Kong’s major newspaper publishers, has been sentenced to twenty years in prison by a court in Hong Kong. The sentence comes just around 12 days the British Prime Minister visited China to improve relations with Beijing. The British government had called for his release: Jimmy Lai, who is 78 years-old, is also a British citizen.
China has conducted a massive purge of dissidents and publishers in Hong Kong during its take-over of the city enclave. At least five book publishers from Hong Kong were purged by China including Gui Minhai (also a Swedish citizen), Lui Bo, Cheung Chi-pin, Lam Wing-kee, and Lee Bo.
China has also imprisoned many newspaper and media editors including Ryan Law, Lam Man-chung, Fung Wai-kong, Cheung Kim-hung, Chan Pui-man and Yeung Ching-kee.
Hong Kong was a thriving and democratic city-state before China took over in 1997. China completely abolished democracy in Hong Kong with the introduction of national security laws in 2020 that paved the way for massive repression leading to tens of thousands of people fleeing the country.
More information about Jimmy Lai’s case can be found here.
Newsroom
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