UK, UN, EU slam Jimmy Lai's 'monumental injustice' 20-year prison sentence as 'politically motivated'
Critics have condemned the harsh 20-year prison sentence handed down to pro-democracy activist and publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, with the UK, UN, EU, and rights groups denouncing the ruling as "politically motivated".
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described Lai's sentence as an "effective life sentence", highlighting the law under which he was convicted as being used to silence critics of the Chinese Communist Party. She called for Lai's immediate release.
The United Nations (UN) has also expressed its opposition to the ruling, with Volker Türk, the UN rights chief saying that it is incompatible with international human rights law and must be quashed. An EU spokesperson described the outcome as "unacceptable" and called for Lai's unconditional release.
Lai, a British citizen who founded Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper, was sentenced on Monday after being convicted of conspiracy to produce seditious material and two counts of collusion with foreign forces. His imprisonment is seen as a major blow to the city's pro-democracy movement, which has been severely curtailed by Beijing since 2020.
The 78-year-old activist faces an uncertain future behind bars, with his son Sebastien expressing fears for his father's safety and wishing for him to be reunited with family. While Sebastien welcomed news of the trial's conclusion as bringing "relief", he also expressed frustration that the visa-free travel agreement announced by the UK had arrived too late.
Critics argue that Lai was wrongly convicted on a law that criminalises dissent, and that his imprisonment is a chilling example of Beijing's clampdown on free speech in Hong Kong. The international community has condemned Lai's sentence as a threat to media freedom and democracy.
"This is a monumental injustice," said Jonathan Price KC, a member of Lai's legal team. "Jimmy Lai is the world's highest-profile political prisoner, and his conviction and sentence demonstrate the utter disregard for human rights in Hong Kong."
Critics have condemned the harsh 20-year prison sentence handed down to pro-democracy activist and publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, with the UK, UN, EU, and rights groups denouncing the ruling as "politically motivated".
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described Lai's sentence as an "effective life sentence", highlighting the law under which he was convicted as being used to silence critics of the Chinese Communist Party. She called for Lai's immediate release.
The United Nations (UN) has also expressed its opposition to the ruling, with Volker Türk, the UN rights chief saying that it is incompatible with international human rights law and must be quashed. An EU spokesperson described the outcome as "unacceptable" and called for Lai's unconditional release.
Lai, a British citizen who founded Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper, was sentenced on Monday after being convicted of conspiracy to produce seditious material and two counts of collusion with foreign forces. His imprisonment is seen as a major blow to the city's pro-democracy movement, which has been severely curtailed by Beijing since 2020.
The 78-year-old activist faces an uncertain future behind bars, with his son Sebastien expressing fears for his father's safety and wishing for him to be reunited with family. While Sebastien welcomed news of the trial's conclusion as bringing "relief", he also expressed frustration that the visa-free travel agreement announced by the UK had arrived too late.
Critics argue that Lai was wrongly convicted on a law that criminalises dissent, and that his imprisonment is a chilling example of Beijing's clampdown on free speech in Hong Kong. The international community has condemned Lai's sentence as a threat to media freedom and democracy.
"This is a monumental injustice," said Jonathan Price KC, a member of Lai's legal team. "Jimmy Lai is the world's highest-profile political prisoner, and his conviction and sentence demonstrate the utter disregard for human rights in Hong Kong."
. I don't know, I'm torn about this whole thing... The UK and EU are right that it's "politically motivated" but at the same time, Jimmy Lai did break the law and conspiracy to produce seditious material is a serious charge 
. His imprisonment might be seen as a blow to democracy but if he was trying to overthrow the government or something, shouldn't he face consequences? 
I'm not sure... On one hand, it's unacceptable that media freedom is being curtailed in Hong Kong and this is just another example of that, but on the other hand, Jimmy Lai did put himself in harm's way with his activism. I don't have all the answers here... Maybe he should've thought twice before publishing those articles? 
I mean, 20 years? That's just crazy! It feels like they're trying to silence Jimmy Lai forever 
. Remember when you used to be able to express your opinions on social media without worrying about getting arrested? Those were the days... 
Now it's like Beijing is dictating what's acceptable and what's not, and pro-democracy activists are getting hit with harsh sentences. It's just so sad for Jimmy Lai and his family 
. I'm not sure if there's much they can do at this point, but I hope someone gets to review the case and throw out that ridiculous sentence soon 
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oh man, this whole thing just feels like a super long and sad chapter for free speech in Hong Kong... I mean, 20 years is just crazy, and it's not even like Jimmy Lai did anything that was really malicious - he's just someone who wanted to hold the powers that be accountable, you know? 
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20 years?! That's like, forever! And it's not even a normal sentence, it's because of some law that lets the gov't silence people who speak out. Like what's next? A 10-year sentence for just existing in a country with freedom of speech? 
And what about Jimmy Lai's family?! They're the ones who have to deal with the stress of not knowing if their dad will ever come home. This whole thing is just a mess 
it's just not fair at all 
. I mean, he was a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party and now he's getting punished for that? It's like they're silencing him forever 
. The fact that the UK, UN, EU, and rights groups are speaking out against this is great 
but it's also too little, too late 
. We should've seen this coming when the law was introduced in the first place 
. Lai's conviction is a clear example of how Beijing is cracking down on free speech and dissent in Hong Kong 
. It's a chilling thought that this could happen to anyone, including us here in the West 
. Let's hope his sentence is quashed or he gets out soon 
...
i don't get why they're being so harsh on him considering his age and all the work he did for pro-democracy in hong kong. it's just not right, you know? 
i feel bad for his son too, Sebastien must be living hell with all this uncertainty about his dad's safety 
anyway, gotta keep talking about this 'cause someone's gotta speak up for jimmy lai 
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. But for Hong Kong, it's just a major blow to the pro-democracy movement 
And what's the real cost of silence, right? Is it really worth trading our dissent for security? I don't know, man... seems like we're living in some kind of dystopian dream where being loud is a crime.