Former Hong Kong media mogul Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of a national security law trial. This was reported by the Reuters news agency on February 9.

"Lai's sentence of 20 years in prison is within the strictest range of punishments — from 10 years to life imprisonment — for crimes of a "grave nature." The Hong Kong court said that when sentencing Lai, it took into account the fact that he was the "organizer" and the driving force behind conspiracies involving foreign states," the publication says.

The sentenced businessman stated in court that he denies all charges, and also called himself a "political prisoner" of Beijing. The publication notes that many Western leaders, including the United States Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have spoken out against the arrest of the businessman. According to them, this incident indicates a violation of the promises of the PRC.

Jimmy Lai (Lee Zhiyin), an opposition media magnate and owner of the closed Pingo Zhibao newspaper, was detained by Hong Kong police in August 2020. He was recognized as one of the key figures in organizing anti-government rallies in 2019.

The Hong Kong opposition newspaper Pingo Zhibao (Apple Daily), whose assets were frozen in the case of a threat to national security, announced that it would cease operations on June 24, 2021.

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