Who is Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media tycoon?
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under the city’s controversial national security law.
Lai could face life in prison if convicted at a later date.
Hailed as a hero by some and disparaged as a traitor by others, the 78-year-old is the most prominent person charged under the law China introduced in 2020 in response to mass protests that broke out in Hong Kong a year ago.
law Beijing criminalizes anything it deems subversive or separatist, from chanting slogans to participating in pro-democracy protests. Beijing says it is necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong, but critics say it effectively bans dissent.
Lai’s sentencing will be given at a later date. Detained since December 2020
Hong Kong says Lai received a fair trial under the rule of law, but critics say his case shows how the city’s legal system is used to silence political dissent.
His family expressed concern about his deteriorating health condition while in custody. This August, his son Sebastien told the BBC that even if his father, a British citizen, were sentenced to just five years in prison, it would be “practically the same as the death penalty”.
Mr Lai has been one of the harshest critics of the Chinese state and a leading advocate for democracy in the former British territory.
“I’m a born rebel,” he told the BBC in an interview in 2020, hours before he was charged. “I have a very rebellious character.”
Lai is on trial for violating national security and collaborating with foreign forces [Getty Images]
From rags to riches
Lai was born in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, into a wealthy family that lost everything when the communists came to power in 1949.
He was 12 years old when he fled his village in mainland China and arrived in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat.
She taught herself English while working odd jobs in a small clothing store and knitting. From a menial job, he went on to build a multi-million dollar empire that eventually included the international clothing brand Giordano.
The chain was a huge success. But when China sent tanks to suppress pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989, Lai began a new journey as a vocal democracy activist as well as an entrepreneur.
He began writing columns criticizing the massacre following the demonstrations in Beijing and founded a publishing house that later became one of Hong Kong’s most influential publishing houses.
Lai is among the most prominent people charged under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law [Reuters]
When China threatened to close its mainland stores, prompting the company to sell, Lai launched a series of popular pro-democracy titles, including Next, a digital magazine, and the widely read Apple Daily newspaper.
With local media increasingly fearful of Beijing, Lai was a persistent critic of Chinese officials through both his broadcasts and writings.
This made him a hero to many in Hong Kong, who saw him as a brave man who took great risks to defend the city’s freedoms.
But on the mainland, he is seen as a “traitor” who threatens China’s national security.
In recent years, masked attackers have firebombed Lai’s home and company headquarters. He was also the target of an assassination plot.
But none of the threats stopped him from voicing his views forcefully. He was a key part of the city’s pro-democracy demonstrations and was arrested twice in 2021 on charges of unlawful assembly.
Apple Daily wasn’t afraid to openly criticize the Chinese state [Getty Images]
When China passed Hong Kong’s new national security law in June 2020, Lai told the BBC it felt like a “death knell” for the territory.
The media mogul is known for his outspokenness and flamboyant behavior.
In 2021, he called on Donald Trump to help the region and said he was “the only one who can save us from China.” His newspaper, Apple Daily, published a letter on its front page that read: “Mr. President, please help us.”
According to Lai, such actions were necessary to defend the city that contained him and fueled his success.
“I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything… Maybe it’s time for me to repay that freedom by fighting for it,” he once told the AFP news agency.
Lai has been facing various charges since 2020, including unauthorized assembly and fraud.
Lai’s trial attracted international attention, with rights groups and foreign governments calling for his release.
For years, Sebastien Lai has traveled the world to condemn his father’s arrest and condemn Hong Kong for punishing “characters that should be celebrated.”
“My father is in prison because of the truth on his lips, the courage in his heart and the freedom in his soul,” he said.
