Governments urged to call for an end to the prosecution of Jimmy Lai on World Press Freedom Day


Today is World Press Freedom Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to celebrate the principles of the freedom of the press and to protect the media from attacks on press freedom. To commemorate World Press Freedom Day, Hong Kong Watch Patron Lord Alton of Liverpool hosted the event, World Press Freedom Day: Hong Kong in the Shadow of Article 23, in the House of Lords on Wednesday.

Lord Alton of Liverpool was joined on a panel by Caoilfhionn Gallagher, KC, head of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team, Steve Vines, former Hong Kong journalist, Carmen Lau, International Advocacy and Programme Associate at Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) and former Hong Kong District Councillor, and Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Watch.

The panel focused on the further erosion of the freedom of the press and other fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong following the recent enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Bill, which is implemented under ‘Article 23’ of the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Lord Alton of Liverpool opened the discussion by providing an overview of Article 23, saying: “The passage of Article 23 has led us here today, where we consider the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day in the shadow of the Hong Kong authorities and other authoritarian regimes around the world which continue to crack down on the free press.”

Benedict Rogers highlighted the work of Hong Kong Watch in response to the passage of Article 23, including our joint statements signed by 90 parliamentarians and over 85 civil society organisations condemning the legislation, as well as our joint statement from 16 experts of freedom of religion or belief raising concerns about Article 23’s implications on religious freedom in Hong Kong.

Mr Rogers emphasised Hong Kong Watch’s calls to action, including calling on the UK government to impose sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, declare Article 23 as a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration following the first application of the law, expand the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme to enable the children of BNO passport holders born before 1 July 1997 to apply for the visa scheme independently of their parents, grant home fees status to BNO visa holders, review the special privileges of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, and protect Hong Kongers in the UK from increasing threats of transnational repression.

Steve Vines spoke to his experience as a journalist in Hong Kong and to the dismantling of the free press in Hong Kong. “Journalism has become a very dangerous occupation in Hong Kong. Many of our colleagues are now on trial or awaiting sentencing, meaning if you want to be or even dare to be an independent journalist in Hong Kong, it is a terrible risk that you are taking,” said Mr Vines. Carmen Lau shared how the new security legislation is negatively impacting the freedom of the press in the city, and the greater Hong Kong diaspora around the world.

Raising the case Jimmy Lai, a British citizen facing prosecution for crimes of subversion allegedly committed in his role as the owner of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, KC, head of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team, said:

“The numbers of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Hong Kong is astonishing, and only comparable to those of Belarus and Myanmar. What we are seeing in the case of Jimmy Lai is a dangerous trend of trying to wipe out independent journalism in Hong Kong. ‘Be silent, or you'll be next’ is the dangerous message his trial is trying to send.

On Friday, you will see the hashtag #JournalismIsNotACrime. In Hong Kong, journalism is a crime. This World Press Freedom Day, it is vitally important that we call out Hong Kong, because unlike other places where it is clear that journalism is a crime, Hong Kong is masquerading that it isn’t.”

Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“On this World Press Freedom Day, Hong Kong Watch again calls for the immediate and unconditional release of and to cease prosecution against Jimmy Lai, and all political prisoners in Hong Kong who are behind bars for daring to publish the truth. Governments around the world must place pressure on the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong to uphold their international legal obligations until those who continue to be jailed and prosecuted for exercising their rights are freed. Today and every day, it must be made clear that journalism is not a crime.”