Hong Kong ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai will not appeal national security conviction, legal team says
The Asahi Shimbun6 days
Jimmy Lai's 20-year sentence under Beijing's national security law represents the harshest crackdown yet on press freedom in Hong Kong, with international leaders and UN officials condemning it as politically motivated persecution incompatible with international law. The draconian punishment effectively amounts to a life sentence for the 78-year-old British citizen who simply exercised his right to free expression.
The severe 20-year sentence demonstrates Hong Kong's commitment to rule of law after Lai masterminded a conspiracy to lobby foreign powers for sanctions against China and the city. The conviction followed a fair trial where Lai received equal treatment under the national security law that successfully restored order following the 2019 unrest.
There is a 50% chance that Hong Kong will stop being a Special Administrative Region of China by Feb. 2047, according to the metaculus prediction community.
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