HK Court Conviction of Jimmy Lai Meant as Warning to China Critics 

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Jimmy Lai (Lai Chee-ying), the former media mogul and founder of the now-defunct Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, has been found guilty of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law. His sentence will be announced at a later date, but a severe sentence is expected.

This verdict appears to be a judicial endorsement of the suppression of free speech using the National Security Law. It seems the Hong Kong government is using it as a weapon at the behest of the government of China, led by President Xi Jinping.

This disgraceful ruling denies freedom of speech and the press, is politically motivated, and is categorically unacceptable.

Arrests and trials based on the National Security Law violate basic human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly. Moreover, as such, they are totally unacceptable. We are deeply concerned about the current situation in Hong Kong, which once enjoyed freedom of speech and the rule of law under the "one country, two systems" principle. Instead, now it has become completely dominated by authoritarian China.

Court Silences Rights

For example, the verdict noted that the prosecution had cited 161 Apple Daily articles as evidence of "sedition" and "collusion." It also claimed that Lai had "manifested a general and constant pattern of showing serious hostility and bias" against the Chinese Communist Party, the central government, and the Special Administrative Region administration in Hong Kong.

For the court to hand down such a verdict was tantamount to its rejection of freedom of speech. Moreover, without the role of the media as a watchdog, there is no way to alert the public to government abuses.

This verdict ultimately makes clear that, as in mainland China, only government-run media will be allowed to survive in Hong Kong. No wonder the Hong Kong Journalists Association issued a statement expressing "deep regret" over the ruling.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the ruling an attempt to "silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights." He surmised that the harsh verdict was intended to serve as an example. 

Jimmy Lai's Health

Rubio also called on the Chinese government to release Mr Lai, whose health has deteriorated significantly after more than 1,800 days in prison.

According to Lai's family, the 78-year-old suffers from diabetes as well as heart problems. Recently, he has been visibly physically weakening. They note, for example, his fingernails are falling off, and his teeth are starting to rot.

Earlier, Lai had been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for "fraud." The family is calling on governments around the world to press China on Lai's behalf, arguing that an even heavier sentence would be "tantamount to a death sentence."

Jimmy Lai's imprisonment presents an extremely serious human rights case. The international community, including Japan, should step up the pressure on China, demanding Lai's early release from custody as a "prisoner of conscience."

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Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

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