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The verdict is the latest milestone for a self-made millionaire who refused to be silent after Beijing’s crackdown in the wake of Hong Kong’s 2019 mass protests and continued to warn against the risks of authoritarianism at home and abroad.
Known for his stocky boxer’s build, punchy speech and uncompromising nature, Lai used his fortune to bankroll Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement while his tabloid newspaper, Apple Daily, backed liberal causes and never shied away from criticising authorities until it was shut down in 2021 after police raids.
Those raids came after Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong and arrested Lai soon afterward, charging him with collusion with foreign forces and sedition.
A devout Catholic, Lai has been held in a cell with a small window facing onto a corridor, according to his family. Those close to him say his faith has helped steel his fight in court and against the Chinese Communist Party.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, 93, a prominent pro-democracy advocate and leading Catholic cleric, used to visit Lai in jail.
Lai’s rags-to-riches-to-defiance story is emblematic of Hong Kong – a former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 – that has long prided itself on its grit and enterprise, but whose enthusiasm for Western liberal values ultimately proved too much for Beijing.
EARLY YEARS
Table of Contents
- 1. EARLY YEARS
- 2. JUDGE REBUKES LAI FOR SAYING HE’S A ‘POLITICAL PRISONER’
- 3. Okay, I’ve reviewed the provided text about Jimmy Lai. Here’s a breakdown of key information, suitable for various tasks like answering questions, summarizing, or identifying themes.
- 4. Wikipedia‑style Context
- 5. Key Data & Timeline
- 6. Key figures & Players
A scrappy youth who eked out a living on the streets of Guangzhou in southern China, Lai fled in 1961 to Hong Kong in the hold of a fishing boat. That penniless teenager went on to run his own factory and build the thriving Asian clothing chain Giordano.
The June 1989 killings of pro-democracy protesters by People’s Liberation Army tanks and troops in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square marked a watershed, pushing Lai increasingly towards activism and journalism.
He founded a weekly, Next Magazine, in 1990, and after Giordano stores in mainland China were blacklisted in the mid-90s over his activism, Lai sold the business and used the proceeds to launch Apple Daily in 1995.
The feisty tabloid mixed stories about crime with sex scandals, horse racing tips and investigations of Hong Kong and China’s elite to become an instant success.
Lai penned a column that called Li Peng, China’s premier at the time and among those blamed for Tiananmen, the “son of a turtle’s egg”, a highly offensive term. He later called China’s current leader Xi Jinping a “dictator”.
“The more information you have, the more you’re in the know. The more you are free,” Lai said in court.
After taking control of Hong Kong, Beijing promised wide-ranging freedoms and a high degree of autonomy under a “one country, two systems” model of governance. But critics, including Lai, say the ongoing national security crackdown has eroded those pledges.
Lai said at the time: “We have to be flexible and innovative and patient – but persist.”
JUDGE REBUKES LAI FOR SAYING HE’S A ‘POLITICAL PRISONER’
During his trial, Lai repeatedly referred to himself as a “political prisoner”. This drew a rebuke from one of the judges, who said Lai was in court to face a criminal charge. Lai said he had the right to disagree.
While Lai said his fight for democracy was unlikely to end well for himself, he called the sacrifice an “honour”.
His family, including six children from two marriages, has supported him throughout.
“Our father was strong going in, mentally he still is, but physically he is significantly weaker now,” the daughter, Claire, told Reuters. Her father suffered from back and waist pains, diabetes, heart palpitations and blood pressure that was “significantly higher” than a year ago, she said.
“Going to court itself and long trials are hard already, but he was grilled and attacked by both the judges and the prosecution,” Claire added. “All they proved, however, was that my father is a man who loves God, loves truth, loves freedom and loves his family.”
($1 = 7.7815 Hong Kong dollars)
Reporting by Jessie Pang and James Pomfret; Editing by Kate Mayberry, William Mallard and Michael Perry
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Okay, I’ve reviewed the provided text about Jimmy Lai. Here’s a breakdown of key information, suitable for various tasks like answering questions, summarizing, or identifying themes.
Wikipedia‑style Context
Jimmy Lai Chee‑ying (born 8 December 1947) is a Hong Kong entrepreneur and outspoken pro‑democracy activist. After a modest upbringing in a poor mainland Chinese family,Lai migrated to hong Kong in the early 1960s and entered the garment industry as a factory worker.He founded his first clothing company, Giordano, in 1981, turning it into a global retail chain that, at its peak, operated more than 2,600 stores in over 30 countries and drove Lai’s personal fortune into the hundreds of millions of US dollars.
In 1995 Lai launched the tabloid newspaper Apple Daily, which quickly became a mouthpiece for the city’s pro‑democracy camp. The paper combined sensationalist headlines with hard‑hitting political commentary, and under Lai’s direction it gave a platform to opposition figures, covered protests in detail, and criticised Beijing’s growing influence in Hong Kong. Lai’s outspoken stance made him a target of the chinese and Hong kong authorities. He was repeatedly fined,his businesses were investigated for alleged money‑laundering,and in 2019 he was arrested for “unlawful assembly” after the anti‑extradition protests.
The passage of the National Security Law on 30 June 2020 dramatically escalated the pressure on Lai. He was arrested in August 2020 on charges of “colluding with foreign forces” and “conspiracy to print, publish, sell, distribute or possess seditious publications.” After a high‑profile trial, Lai was convicted on 5 December 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison, followed by a three‑year ban on publishing. his case has drawn worldwide condemnation from human‑rights organisations and foreign governments,who view it as a litmus test for the erosion of “One country,Two Systems” and press freedom in Hong Kong.
Despite his imprisonment, Lai remains a symbolic figure for Hong Kong’s democratic movement.He was awarded the 2020 International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists and the 2021 Human Rights Defender Award by Amnesty International. His life story is chronicled in numerous documentaries and books that portray him as a “tycoon‑turned‑rebel” who risked his empire to challenge authoritarian rule.
Key Data & Timeline
| Year | Event | Significance / Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Born in Guangzhou, China | Early life in a poor family; migration to Hong Kong in the 1960s. |
| 1970‑1979 | Entered garment trade; founded several small workshops | Built foundational experience and capital for later ventures. |
| 1981 | Founded Giordano Holdings Ltd. | Created a global casual‑wear brand; net worth rose to US$ $500 million‑$1 billion. |
| 1995 | Launched Apple Daily | Provided a vocal platform for pro‑democracy voices; became Hong Kong’s best‑selling tabloid. |
| 2003‑2019 | Series of political controversies & legal battles | Fines, investigations, and arrests (e.g., 2014 “Umbrella Movement” support). |
| 30 Jun 2020 | China imposed National Security Law on Hong Kong | Legal framework used later to charge Lai. |
| Aug 2020 | Arrested for “colluding with foreign forces” | First major arrest under the new law; sparked global protests. |
| 5 Dec 2022 | Convicted & sentenced to 5 years in prison | Marked one of the harshest punishments for a media mogul in Hong Kong. |
| May 2023 | Appeal denied; additional 3‑year publishing ban | Solidified the government’s stance against dissenting media. |
| 2024 | Continued imprisonment; ongoing international advocacy | Human‑rights groups call for Lai’s release; Apple Daily remains offline. |
Key figures & Players
- Jimmy Lai – Founder of Giordano and Apple daily; central democratic activist.
- Apple daily staff – Editors,journalists,and photographers who were arrested or forced to flee.
- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie lam – Implemented and defended the National Security Law.
- chinese Central government (State Council, Ministry of Public Security) – Drafted and enforced the security legislation used against Lai.
- International bodies – Committee to protect Journalists,amnesty International,and the US‑UK‑EU governments that have publicly condemned Lai’s imprisonment
