Final plea in case Jimmy Lai, figurehead of freedom movement Hong Kong
Today the final plea in the case of the figurehead of the freedom movement in Hong Kong: Mediatycoon Jimmy Lai. He is suspected of incitement and conspiracy with foreign powers, criminal offenses under the national security law
Lai is currently a combined prison sentence from for a sign HREF = “https://nos.nl/artikel/2409332- Celpraf-hongse-mediamagnaat-jimmy-lai-om-tiananmen- Remembrance”> Unauthorized meetings . If the now 77-year-old Lai is found guilty, a lifelong prison sentence hangs over his head. The case is seen by many as a turning point for freedom and independent case law in Hong Kong. MediaMagnaat Lai was born in the South Chinese city of Guangzhou. At the age of twelve, he smuggled himself over the border with Hong Kong and went to work in a textile factory. In the following decades, he grew into a very successful businessman in the clothing industry. Shortly after the massacre on the square of heavenly peace in Beijing in 1989, LAI decided to use his capital to enter the media. The goal: to guarantee the liberties of Hong Kong through independent journalism. Freedoms that Chinese don’t have on the mainland. In 1990 Lai NextMagazine founded and in the following years the Apple Daily, a magazine and newspaper that grew into one of the most popular media in Hong Kong. figurehead for freedom of press Through his media, Lai often went into battle with the Chinese regime and Hong Kong leaders he considered pro-China. For example, he published stories about corruption and systematic human rights violations by the Chinese regime. In addition, his media played a crucial role in the struggle for freedom and the ProDemocratic “umbrella protests” in 2014 in Hong Kong. Lai not only went on the barricades himself (something he continued to do until he was arrested in 2020), but the Apple Daily was also an important facilitator in the protest. The newspaper published practical information about where the protesters gathered, how they could protect themselves against police violence and what rights the demonstrators had. And just as important: the Apple Daily became a source for foreign media worldwide. Through their messages, the whole world could watch how the Hong Kongers competed with the authoritarian authority from Beijing. All this contributed to fierce international criticism and pressure on the drivers in Hong Kong, but even more sensitive, to the leaders in Beijing. In 2020, the Apple Daily also started to defeat the news in English, but that was short -lived. Shortly after the introduction of the National Security Act, LAI was arrested and hundreds of police officers made several raids at the Apple Daily. After various seizures of materials and arrests by journalists, the Apple Daily closed its doors in 2021. International attention