Hong Kong slams European Parliament’s calls for officials to be sanctioned over Jimmy Lai’s national security conviction

2026-01-25 - 21:07

Hong Kong authorities have slammed the European Parliament’s calls for sanctions against Chief Executive John Lee and other officials following the conviction of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai in his national security trial last month. Jimmy Lai. File photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP. The Hong Kong government said on Thursday that it “vehemently opposed” the European Parliament’s resolution on “human rights violations” in Hong Kong. The government said it strongly condemned what it called “despicable political manipulation.” Last month, the media tycoon, 78, was found guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law and conspiring to publish seditious publications under colonial-era legislation. His sentencing is pending and he faces up to life behind bars. Lai’s “only intent whether pre or post [national security law] was to seek the downfall of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] even though the ultimate cost was the sacrifice of the interest of the people of [China] and [Hong Kong],” three judges wrote in the judgment. In a statement published late on Thursday, a government spokesperson said the European Parliament had made “sweepingly generalised and grandstanding comments” about Lai’s case and had demonstrated “double standards.” “Acts and activities endangering national security could bring very serious consequences. No country will watch with folded arms and tolerate any of such acts and activities endangering national security without taking any action,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Lai’s case was not related to press freedom. Lai is the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, which was known for its criticism of Beijing and Hong Kong authorities before it was forced to close in 2021 after police raided its office and froze its assets. The Central Government Offices in Admiralty, Hong Kong. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. “Over the years, the defendants have used journalism as a guise to commit acts that brought harm to our country and Hong Kong,” the spokesperson said, calling Lai “the mastermind” behind anti-China activities in the city. The spokesperson also said Lai’s health has been cared for, after members of the European Parliament expressed concerns that the 78-year-old’s life is “in danger” after years of solitary confinement and an imminent sentencing. Lai received “adequate and comprehensive” medical care while in custody and had “no complaints” about the medical services he received, the spokesperson said. European Parliament’s resolution The Hong Kong government statement came after the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday, which included calling on the European Commission to sanction Hong Kong’s leader and officials “responsible for the crackdown on freedoms.” The resolution, adopted after a 503 to 9 vote, with 100 abstentions, said: “Lai’s arbitrary prosecution exemplifies the systematic use of state security laws to eliminate independent media, free speech and the political opposition in Hong Kong.” The parliament condemned what it described as “escalating transnational repression of journalists, activists and the diaspora” of Hong Kong, including in the European Union. European Union flags in Brussels. Photo: Wiktor Dabkowski, via Flickr. It also called on the European Commission to initiate the suspension of Hong Kong’s status under the World Trade Organization. Lai has been detained since December 2020, reportedly in solitary confinement, after being charged him with the national security offence. His children are conducting an international lobbying campaign to call for his release from prison, including by raising concerns about his health. During mitigation hearings earlier this month, Lai’s lawyers said the tycoon is in his “advanced years” and suffers from hypertension, diabetes and other ailments, as they urged for leniency in sentencing. The judges said they would hand down the sentences for Lai and other co-defendants in his case “as soon as practicable.”