Jimmy Lai is an award-winning writer, publisher, and human rights activist. Lai was the owner of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, regarded as Hong Kong’s most prolific pro-democracy news outlet before it was forced to close by the authorities in 2021. Lai is also the author of over 20 books, ranging from autobiographies to essays on entrepreneurship and his love of food.
Lai, a British citizen, has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since December 2020 on multiple charges related to his journalism and activism. He faces further charges under the National Security Law (NSL), which could result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
'Freedom of speech is a dangerous job.'
Jimmy Lai
Background
Jimmy Lai is a veteran human rights activist, writer, and owner of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, which was once regarded as Hong Kong’s most prolific pro-democracy news outlet before it was forced to close by the authorities on 24 June 2021.
Lai has been continuously imprisoned since December 2020 following his initial detention in August 2020 on multiple charges related to his journalism and activism. He has already received several convictions of unauthorised assembly for his participation in peaceful pro-democracy protests, including a 13-month sentence for briefly appearing at a vigil on 4 June 2020 to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
On 10 December 2022, Human Rights Day, Lai was sentenced to a total of five years and nine months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of a commercial lease for the headquarters of Apple Daily’s parent company. He faces further charges under the National Security Law (NSL), which could result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Lai’s ongoing detention is emblematic of the NSL’s devastating impact on freedom of expression and press freedom across Hong Kong and is illustrative of the authorities’ willingness to use the legal system to silence dissenting voices. In addition to Jimmy Lai, a dozen journalists are currently detained, and the chilling effect caused by the NSL has resulted in a climate of self-censorship across the territory, with several media outlets having dissolved in an effort to protect their staff from potential prosecution under the law for their critical journalism.