The introduction of a further charge against Jimmy Lai demonstrates “the Hong Kong Government will stop at nothing to silence its critics”

Today, the Hong Kong Government introduced a further charge against the prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and former owner of Apple Daily newspaper, Jimmy Lai, and six other staff members of the defunct pro-democracy publication. The group have been accused by prosecutors of conspiring to “print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display and/or reproduce seditious publications.”

Jimmy Lai, who also holds UK citizenship, was arrested in August 2020 when the Hong Kong police raided Apple Daily, charging him with “colluding with foreign forces” under the National Security Law in December 2020.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Lai used the Apple Daily newspaper and his social media platforms, and conspired with Mark Simon, an American citizen, Chan Tsz-wah, a legal assistant, activist Andy Li Yu-hin and Lau Cho-dick, to call for foreign sanctions.

Lai has already been convicted three times for peacefully demonstrating in Hong Kong, his most recent being a 13-month sentence given two weeks ago for organising and taking part in a vigil last year for victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

 Under the National Security Law, foreign collusion is punishable by a prison term of between three and 10 years, while an offence considered particularly grave carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The case was adjourned to 24 February 2022 to give defendants more time to decide their pleas and to allow prosecutors the opportunity to lodge an application for the case to be transferred to the High Court.

Commenting on the introduction of a further charge against Jimmy Lai, Johnny Patterson, Hong Kong Watch’s Policy Director, said:

“The introduction of a further charge against Jimmy Lai and former Apple Daily journalists makes it clear that the Hong Kong Government will stop at nothing to silence its critics in the press.

Mr Lai is a respected businessman who previously owned one of the city’s most important opposition news outlet. His ongoing prosecution is a blow to press freedom and the rule of law, and a sign of just how fast the human rights situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated.

Liberal democracies must speak out in support for Mr Lai and call for the release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong.”  

黎智英及前蘋果高層被加控煽動刊物罪 政權不惜代價消滅反對聲音

《蘋果日報》黎智英及6名前高層今天被加控「串謀刊印、發佈、分發、展示或複製煽動刊物罪」。

同時擁有英國國籍的黎智英現年 74 歲，於 2020 年 8 月香港警方突擊搜查《蘋果日報》大樓時被捕，於同年 12 月被正式起訴。

黎智英已經三次因為和平示威被判刑，最近一次是兩週前被指控組織和參與去年六四燭光晚會而被判刑 13 個月。

根據《港區國安法》，「勾結外國勢力」罪可被判處 3 至 10 年監禁，被認為特別嚴重的罪行最高可被判處終身監禁。

法官將案件押後至 2022 年 2 月 24 日，以便讓被告有更多時間決定是否認罪，並讓控方有機會申請將案件移交至高等法院。

香港監察的政策總監 Johnny Patterson 指：

 「香港政府加控黎智英和前《蘋果日報》記者，顯示其將不惜繼續不惜代價消滅反對聲音。黎智英是一位受人尊敬的商人，擁有香港其中一個最重要的反對派新聞媒體。

政權持續起訴黎智英是對新聞自由和法治的衝擊，也顯示香港局勢惡化的速度有多快，各自由、民主國家必須立即採取行動，呼籲釋放香港的政治犯。」