Jimmy Lai: An Advocate for Democracy and a Free Press in Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai, a British citizen, businessman, pro-democracy advocate, and proponent of religious freedom, has been unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese government for five years due to his unrelenting advocacy for democracy in Hong Kong.

Jimmy voiced political dissent through his media outlets, Next Digital and Apple Daily. He used his platform to express support for Hong Kong’s democracy protests, condemn Beijing’s authoritarian rule, and speak out against corruption. Additionally, he took part in widespread democracy protests in Hong Kong. He funded his advocacy with a portion of the profits from his clothing company, Giordano.

Jimmy foresaw that the Communist Party of China (CCP) would ultimately crack down on democratic governance in Hong Kong. The British government transferred control of Hong Kong to the PRC in 1997, under the condition that the city would enjoy a greater degree of political autonomy and civil rights than mainland China. Jimmy feared for the fate of his fellow Hong Kongers after the Chinese government massacred its own citizens at the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square. 

Jimmy had many opportunities to flee Hong Kong and avoid persecution, but he chose not to. He was first arrested in 2014 for his support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Umbrella Movement. Yet, even as he contended with repeated threats to his freedom and safety, his advocacy gained global prominence. In 2019, Jimmy met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, and later Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, to discuss the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. Jimmy was arrested again in February 2020 on suspicion of organizing and attending pro-democracy protests the prior year that criticized the CCP’s rule.

In June 2020, the CCP enacted the National Security Law in Hong Kong, severely curtailing the city’s political autonomy, freedom of dissent, and civic space. In August of that year, Jimmy was detained for alleged collusion with a foreign entity, conspiracy to defraud, and intention to incite secession amid a mass crackdown on pro-democracy activists. He was briefly granted bail one day after his arrest, but it was revoked in early December and he was rearrested. This pattern repeated just weeks later. The high court granted bail on December 23, revoked it days later, and the authorities rearrested Jimmy on December 31. His trial, which is currently underway, is expected to end with a guilty verdict and a lengthy, or even life, prison sentence.

Over the course of his imprisonment, Jimmy has endured more than 1,500 days in solitary confinement—far exceeding the 15 consecutive days that international law defines as torture. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a former Russian political prisoner who serves as the Advisory Council Chair for the McCain Institute’s Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative, described the profound psychological impact of solitary confinement—having experienced it himself for eleven months. As he explained, “Very quickly after about two weeks, you start forgetting names, you start forgetting words, you start shouting at walls, you stop understanding what’s real and what’s imagined. And it is really, really difficult in such conditions to keep one’s sanity.”

In prison, Jimmy was awarded the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award and the Golden Pen of Freedom award for his tireless advocacy on behalf of a free press in Hong Kong. He was also one of six Hong Kong protestors nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his fight for democracy.

Jimmy’s case shows the importance—and the difficulty—of the struggle for free speech and press under a communist regime. His life and work exemplify the courage it takes to stand up for human rights.  

The McCain Institute has long championed similar leaders and the fundamental democratic ideals that they uphold. The McCain Institute is doing everything it can to bring about the release of Jimmy Lai, as his story resonates with the masses of people worldwide who are fighting against authoritarian regimes.

This report was drafted and prepared by Junior Fellow Ariane Gottlieb from publicly available sources and reviewed by the FPPI and Global Democracy Director Pedro Pizano and Global Democracy Sr. Director Laura Thornton. It was approved by Jimmy’s representatives.