Jimmy Lai he was sentenced to 14 months in prison in relation to the protests during the Chinese national holiday of October 1, 2019. This brings the number of months that Lai will have to spend in detention to 20. Lai, who is already in prison, is one of eight prominent Hong Kong activists sentenced today, while two others have received a suspended sentence.
Lai, the media tycoon, symbol of the Hong Kong riots, is arrested
by our correspondent FILIPPO SANTELLI
The activists had pleaded guilty on May 17 and among them also include the lawyer Albert Ho and Figo Chan, representative of the Civil Human Rights Front, the acronym that organized the marches that started the pro-democracy protests of the summer 2019: they received the toughest sentence, i.e. 18 months in prison, together with two other activists: Lee Cheuk-yan and Lee Kwok-hung.
District Court Judge Amanda Woodcock, cited by the Hong Kong public broadcaster Rthk, called it “unrealistic” for the accused to think that the unauthorized event could not lead to a violent demonstration, in the midst of the protests that have rocked the city. The only option, Woodcock said, was to impose “deterrent” sentences.
Hong Kong, pro-democracy editor Jimmy Lai sentenced along with six other opposition veterans
The 73-year-old founder of Apple Daily is already serving a prison sentence for participating in other protests that year and at least two more charges are pending against him under the disputed “national security” law imposed by Beijing and in force since July last year.
Hong Kong police yesterday banned the June 4 vigil in memory of the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square repression against student protests demanding democratic reforms from the Chinese government. The Hong Kong Alliance demonstration will not be held: the official motivation, the association reported, is that there is a risk of Covid-19, despite the former colony boasts a situation that has returned under control. “We will continue to fight to legally demonstrate on June 4,” announced the Alliance, which will appeal the police decision. Also yesterday the electoral reform wanted by Beijing passed in the Parliament of the former British colony, which effectively entrusts the government “to the patriots”.
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