Well-known Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for participating in a Tiananmen memorial. Last week, the 74-year-old activist was found guilty attending an “illegal gathering”.
Seven others also received prison terms for the June 4, 2020 commemoration. They were given sentences of up to 14 months. In addition to Lai, the owner of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which closed last year, journalist Gwyneth Ho and noted activist Chow Hang Tung were also sentenced. They have to go to jail for six and twelve months.
Several activists have been convicted in recent months. They joined tens of thousands of others at a memorial last year for the victims who fell when the Chinese army brutally ended student protests on June 4, 1989.
No surprise
The convictions are being interpreted as a symptom of Beijing’s tightening of its hold on Hong Kong. “I don’t think this came as a surprise to anyone,” says correspondent Sjoerd den Daas. “Not for anyone in Hong Kong and not for the people involved.”
Commemorations were not allowed in Hong Kong last year, officially in connection with the pandemic, the judge also said today. Yet, according to government critics, it is due to the increasing influence from Beijing. “Earlier, a useful argument was that no permit had been granted,” says Den Daas. “Now that is again something that has been mentioned, but of course corona is also included in that.”
“Many of the people in the pro-democratic camp indicated in advance that everything seems to be done to put them behind bars for as long as possible. At least that seems to be happening now,” says Den Daas.
Lai himself said before the sentencing that “if commemorating those who have died unjustly is a crime”, he wants to face the punishment for this:
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