The United States condemned the 20-year prison sentence imposed by the Chinese regime on media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai and maintained that the ruling represents an “unjust and tragic” closure of a process that reflects the use of justice to repress fundamental freedoms in the city. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also demanded that the authorities grant his freedom on humanitarian grounds.
“The Hong Kong High Court’s decision to sentence Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison constitutes an unjust and tragic outcome of this case”, Rubio stated in a statement.
For the head of diplomacy estadounidense, the sentence demonstrates that the Beijing regime is willing “to go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who defend fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.”
Washington’s pronouncement places Lai’s case as a symbol of the deterioration of the framework of rights and freedoms that governed the special administrative region under the principle of “one country, two systems.” According to the State Department, the judicial process also exposes the abandonment of international commitments assumed by China and the United Kingdom in the 1984 joint declaration, which established political, judicial, and civil guarantees for Hong Kong after its transfer of sovereignty.
Rubio underlined that the businessman and his environment have endured a prolonged judicial process and years of detention.
“After enduring a trial that lasted two years and more than five years of detention in prison, Lai and his family have already suffered enough. The United States urges the authorities to grant Lai his freedom for humanitarian reasons,” the Secretary of State noted.
Jimmy Lai, 78, was convicted of conspiracy charges to collude with foreign forces and for publishing content considered seditious. The court handed down the sentence almost two months after finding him guilty of crimes that, according to the national security law applied in Hong Kong, could even lead to life imprisonment.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump , also commented on the verdict and expressed his “sadness” over the conviction. The White House considers Lai’s case an example of the tightening of political and judicial control in Hong Kong since the enactment of the National Security Law.
Washington’s statements came in parallel with a wave of international reactions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for the annulment of the sentence, considering it “incompatible with international law” and argued that the ruling “criminalizes the exercise of freedom of expression“.
According to the UN office, the case highlights the scope of the national security legislation passed after the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Türk also recalled the businessman’s advanced age, his state of health, and the impact of more than four years of detention as factors that reinforce the need for his release on humanitarian grounds. The body warned that crimes such as “conspiracy with foreign forces” can encompass legitimate activities of journalists and civil organizations.
In its broadest assessment of the situation in Hong Kong, the United Nations noted that between 2020 and 2026 at least 385 people were arrested and 175 convicted of national security-related offenses. The human rights office also warned about the closure of independent media, the detention of journalists, and the tightening of visa and accreditation policies for foreign press.
The European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia joined the call for Lai’s release. Brussels maintained that the prosecution of the businessman and former executives and journalists of his media group was politically motivated and damaged Hong Kong’s international reputation as a financial center.
The Chinese regime responded to the chain of international criticism by defending the sentence and stating that Jimmy Lai deserves a “severe punishment” because, according to their version, he has seriously endangered national security.
