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Bring Jimmy Lai Home

Lai's fight for democracy in Hong Kong continues behind bars. His crime? Independent journalism. #FreeJimmyLai

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A fight for freedom that led to prison.

Jimmy Lai is a pro-democracy campaigner in Hong Kong who founded Apple Daily, a newspaper advocating freedom of speech. His staunch criticism of the Chinese government and support for democratic movements led to his arrest in 2020 under the National Security Law.

Lai’s story is a rallying point for those defending democratic values and human rights in the face of increasing authoritarianism. His trial began December 18th, 2023, with his son, Sebastien, fighting for his release. The trial was postponed on July 25, 2024 and will resume on November 20, 2024.

“Jimmy Lai is a prisoner of conscience.”

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Lord Chris Patten, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, former Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997

“If my father is convicted in this show trial, I may never see him again.”

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Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai, leader of the #FreeJimmyLai campaign

“Everyone who cares about freedom, who cares about democracy, fights for justice and the release of Jimmy Lai.

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Matthew Caruana Galizia, investigative journalist and director of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation

“The Chinese government is trying to erase the Tiananmen Square massacre from its history books, and they’re trying to do the same with my father.”

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Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai, leader of the #FreeJimmyLai campaign

“Mr. Lai’s case is one of the most famous press freedom and pro-democracy cases in the world at the moment, and the world is watching what happens to him.”

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Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, leader of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team

“The HK government have shut down Apple Daily and imprisoned its publisher. This is an attack on free speech.”

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Dr. Julie Posetti, The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)

“If I were a British or American company with heavy exposure in Hong Kong, I would be very concerned.”

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Ambassador James Cunningham, former US Consul General in Hong Kong

“My father might spend the rest of his life in prison for printing the truth.”

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Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai, leader of the #FreeJimmyLai campaign

“Once media freedom is undermined, you know the rule of law will be undermined.”

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Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, and director of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)

“What’s happened to Jimmy Lai could happen to any journalist anywhere. Without a free and independent media, we as the public are not free.”

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Jodie Ginsberg, president of the Committee to Protect Journalists

"He is now being prosecuted for illegitimate reasons, under an unfair law, and in a broken legal system.”

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Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, leader of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team

Jimmy’s Case

1

Arrives in Hong Kong, 1961

At the age of 12, Jimmy Lai escapes Communist-controlled China and makes his way to the British colony of Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat. He finds work in a garment factory. His grit, determination, and entrepreurial spirit pay off, and he builds a fortune as a successful businessman.

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Founding of Apple Daily, 1995

After the Tiananmen Square massacre, Lai shifts his attention toward activism. He founds the pro-democracy Chinese language newspaper, Apple Daily, which criticizes the CCP regularly.

3

Prominent Publisher Arrested, August 10, 2020

Jimmy Lai is arrested under Hong Kong’s draconian and vague new National Security Law, which makes free speech a crime. After two days in detention, Lai is released on bail.

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Bail Revoked, December 31, 2020

Jimmy Lai is returned to prison, where he remains.

Sentenced To Prison for Speaking Out, April 1, 2021

Jimmy Lai is convicted on the first of many charges stemming from his peaceful, pro-democracy campaigning, this time for taking part in a peaceful march that drew a quarter of Hong Kong’s population. He is sentenced to a year in prison.

6

The Charges Keep Coming, May 28, 2021

Jimmy Lai is sentenced to an additional 14 months, this time for organizing and taking part in a public procession, proving again that speaking out is now a crime in Hong Kong.

7

The End of Press Freedom, June 24, 2021

Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s last independent Chinese-language newspaper, is forced to shut down as the government freezes its assets and arrests its senior staff.

8

More Jail Time, December 13, 2021

The authorities convict Jimmy Lai for attending a vigil and lighting a candle in memory of the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

9

Political Persecution of a Businessman, December 10, 2022

Lai is sentenced to more than five years in prison on charges related to a minor lease violation—charges that the US State Department and many others condemned as spurious.

10

The Show Trial Begins, December 18, 2023

After years of delays, Lai’s trial under Hong Kong’s new National Security Law begins. He faces multiple charges relating to his pro-democracy campaigning and publishing.

11

Justice Denied Again, July 25, 2024

The court refuses to dismiss charges and adjourns the trial, scheduling it to begin again in November 2024. Jimmy Lai remains in solitary confinement, waiting for his day in court.

12

Trial Set to Resume, November 20, 2024

After months of delays, Jimmy Lai’s trial is expected to resume with his defense. The world watches as Hong Kong, a once free and vibrant city now controlled by Beijing, continues its assault on press freedom and pro-democracy voices.

Jimmy Lai’s trial under the National Security Law is happening now.

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Jimmy Lai and the cases against him

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Stand up for Jimmy Lai

For standing up for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai has remained in solitary confinement for over 1000 days. As his December 18th trial progresses, his son Sebastian will continue to fight for his freedom.

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