The conviction of a media activist in Hong Kong revives concern over press freedom

The court conviction of media businessman Jimmy Lai has been seen by international bodies as a deadly blow to political dissent in the region. A serious setback for Hong Kong, with China's role under scrutiny.

Press freedom remains one of the most intense focuses of debate in the international human rights arena. The practice of journalism and communication in an increasingly marked scenario of humanitarian crises, armed conflicts and authoritarian regimes keeps international bodies on edge. In this context, Hong Kong has come under the world's gaze for its attacks on the press and freedom of expression, in this case over the persecution of media icon and activist Jimmy Lai, convicted in recent days by the local courts. Lai has been accused on charges related to national security and could face a life sentence. 

Indeed, Lai's conviction became a focus of global concern, in a case that combines the struggle for press freedom, freedom of expression and the geopolitical interests at stake internationally. The 78-year-old media tycoon, responsible for the newspaper Apple Daily, was known for his criticism of the government, which was treated as an operation whose alleged aim was to “overthrow” the Chinese government. His conviction, in a trial without a jury, raised concern among international bodies, which see this offensive as a deadly blow to freedom of expression in that territory. 

The alleged “attack on national security” attributed to Lai stems from the provisions of the aforementioned National Security Law imposed by Beijing. Although Hong Kong remains a territory with relative administrative autonomy, its most sensitive areas of government, such as defense, security and foreign affairs, fall under China's orbit. This places Lai's case at the center of a geopolitical struggle in which press freedom is held captive.

The conflict with Lai dates back to 2020. He has been in prison since that year after being convicted of “collusion with foreign forces” and attempted sedition. In 2021 he was denied bail as well as representation by a British lawyer, given that Lai himself holds that citizenship. It is worth recalling that, in 2020, following the enactment of the aforementioned National Security Law, the headquarters of the newspaper run by Lai was the target of a raid carried out by hundreds of police officers.  

The case raised concern among various global human rights bodies, which expressed alarm at the paradigm shift in Hong Kong with regard to freedom of expression. Organizations such as Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch did so by issuing their respective statements on the matter.

The reaction of humanitarian organizations

International assessments point to the role of the Chinese government and the already well-known offensive policy toward political dissent of that country's socialist government. Human Rights Watch not only described the charges against Lai as “false charges,” but also defined the process as a judicial “parody” aimed at disciplining and silencing political dissent. It also stressed that the court's decision violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

Meanwhile, Amnesty International also condemned the conviction and considered it a manifestation of the “systematic” repression carried out in that region for some time, aimed not only at public voices but also at political parties, civil organizations and any other form of social protest. The organization also demanded his immediate and unconditional release. 

The setback in Hong Kong

What recently happened in Hong Kong is not an isolated event, but part of a regressive pattern regarding press freedom in the region. In the middle of this year, the organization Global Voices released worrying figures showing Hong Kong falling to 140th place in the world press freedom index. The statistics were taken from a survey published by the independent journalism platform Hong Kong Free Press. This represented a drop of five places compared with the previous year and, according to Reporters Without Borders, would place it alongside China in the so-called “red zone” of countries with highly serious violations of freedom of expression.   

It is worth recalling that what has happened in Hong Kong directly mirrors the situation in China with regard to press freedom and freedom of expression. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (a U.S. body tasked with monitoring human rights in that country) has pointed out that freedom of expression in the Asian country is limited to certain intellectual, media and political elites aligned with or controlled by the government.

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia