The fight to free Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai must continue.

By Mark L. Clifford for The Free Press

Go directly to the publisher’s website here for the original version of this commentary.

Summarized by Probe International

The 20-year sentence issued today by the court of national security judges Esther Toh Lye-ping, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios and Alex Lee Wan-tang, marks a grim milestone in a lengthy political trial that exemplifies the misuse of China’s national security law to suppress dissent in Hong Kong.

Jimmy Lai, 78, a champion of democracy and freedom, received the harshest penalty under the China-imposed law for nothing more than his journalistic efforts to advocate for the rights promised to Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” framework, asserts Mark L. Clifford, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong. Lai’s sentence underscores China’s betrayal of that formula, put forward by former leader Deng Xiaoping, after the 1997 handover.

Serving a prison term of five years and nine months in a separate fraud case, it was ruled that 18 years of Lai’s sentence in the security case should be served consecutively to that prison term. Described as prolonged and brutal, Lai’s ordeal has been characterized by solitary confinement and a lack of basic legal rights, reflecting the regime’s determination to crush opposition. His conviction on dubious charges, including “colluding with foreign forces,” highlights the absurdity of the legal actions taken against him, argues Clifford. As a wealthy media entrepreneur, Lai’s principled stance against the Chinese government has made him a target, and his declining health raises urgent concerns about his future.

Urging the international community to advocate for Lai’s release, Clifford frames his case as emblematic of the struggle for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, and his continued imprisonment a reminder of the challenges faced by those who dare to oppose authoritarian rule. Clifford calls on political leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump, to leverage diplomatic pressure to secure Lai’s freedom, which Clifford says could ease tensions and foster better relations between China and democratic nations.

Prime Minister Starmer’s recent visit to China however, has been widely critiqued for its “show of weakness.” Jimmy Lai is highlighted as a major flashpoint. Critics argued that despite raising the issue, Starmer’s engagement did not result in concessions from Beijing, with Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, labeling the approach as having nothing to show for getting closer to China.

Clifford acknowledges releasing Lai would be complicated for Beijing “given the years officials have spent demonizing him and the country’s unwillingness to compromise.” He contends that doing so could nevertheless provide President Xi Jinping with domestic advantages and help ease tensions with the U.S. and U.K., potentially leading to the lifting of sanctions on certain Hong Kong and Chinese officials, as well as facilitate the return of Chinese nationals held in Western prisons.