International Outcry Over Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Sentence: A Deep Dive into the Impact on Hong Kong’s Freedom

Jimmy Lai[Captured by Chung Sin Sa][Captured by Chung Sin Sa]

The international community, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United Nations, has unanimously denounced the 20-year prison sentence imposed on Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the ruling on December 9th, calling it an unjust and tragic conclusion.

Blinken stated, “This verdict demonstrates China’s willingness to renege on its international commitments made in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and to take extreme measures to silence those who defend basic freedoms in Hong Kong.”

The Joint Declaration, signed by the UK and China in 1984, guarantees Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the “one country, two systems” principle until 2047, even after its return to Chinese sovereignty.

Blinken added, “Mr. Lai and his family have already endured enough suffering after two years of trial and over five years of detention. The U.S. urges Chinese authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also criticized the sentence, stating that a 20-year term for 78-year-old Jimmy Lai effectively amounts to a life sentence and is the result of politically motivated charges aimed at silencing dissent.

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, pointed out that the vague and broad provisions of Hong Kong’s National Security Law have been interpreted and enforced in ways that violate international human rights obligations, asserting that the ruling against Lai is incompatible with international law.

EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali expressed dismay at the ruling and called for Lai’s immediate and unconditional release.

On the day of the sentencing, Taiwan condemned the ruling through its Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), describing it as political persecution.

Lai Ching Te, Taiwan’s President, criticized on Facebook on December 10th that China’s proposed “one country, two systems” unification model has become meaningless.

He continued, “Hong Kong’s experience serves as a painful reminder that democracy and freedom are never guaranteed. I urge China to cease its politically motivated persecution under the guise of judicial authority and to release Jimmy Lai immediately.”

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed serious concern over the impact of this case on the freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, which form the foundation of Hong Kong’s democratic and stable development.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also stated, “The Australian government is deeply concerned about the sentences imposed on Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants. We demand that China stop its repression of freedom of expression and assembly, and abolish the Hong Kong National Security Law.”

Lai, the founder and owner of the prominent pro-democracy media outlet Apple Daily, was arrested in August 2020, shortly after the implementation of Hong Kong’s National Security Law.

On December 9th, a Hong Kong court sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison for three counts of violating the National Security Law, including collusion with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, having found him guilty in December of the previous year.

This sentence represents the harshest penalty imposed under the law since the Chinese government enacted and enforced Hong Kong’s National Security Law in June 2020.

The law, created in response to the massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019, allows for maximum penalties of life imprisonment for crimes such as secession, subversion of state power, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.

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Contact: Kim Ye-rin (yey@yna.co.kr)