Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been convicted again for organizing pro-democracy protests. The 73-year-old entrepreneur has been jailed for 14 months for his involvement in the massive demonstrations of October 1, 2019.
The sentence comes on top of last month’s conviction. Lai was then sentenced to a year in prison for organizing another demonstration in 2019. The billionaire had been in custody for months.
Lai is founder of the Apple Daily newspaper and publisher. He is a prominent critic of the Chinese government’s growing influence over Hong Kong and has protested it regularly in recent years. He has been arrested several times, along with other pro-democracy leaders.
Lai’s assets have also been seized. Justice wants to prevent its supporters from funneling money abroad and setting up new critical media there.
Silenced Critical Sound
Many hundreds of thousands of residents of the former British Crown Colony took to the streets in recent years to protest against Beijing’s growing influence. The anger focused mainly on a law that allowed extradition of suspects to China. That law was introduced a year ago and since then critics hardly dare to make their voice heard.
A brief timeline of the Hong Kong protest:
–
