“Freedom of speech is a dangerous job,” the Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai wrote by hand in a letter from prison last year. Apple Daily was founded by him, an obscure tabloid newspaper which has become a strong voice in Hong Kong for democracy. The authorities have brought up bogus charges against Mr. Lai under Beijing’s restrictive National Security Law. His trial is to begin this week — and the right to freedom of expression and association will be in the dock with him.
Mr. Lai wrote in his handwritten letter that it is “a journalist’s responsibility to uphold justice” and “it is precisely this that we need to love and cherish. … The era is falling apart before us, and it is time for us to stand tall.”
In that era, which included decades during which Mr. Lai rose out of poverty to become a wealthy man, Hong Kong was an icon of freedom, liberty, and the rule of law. When it took over Hong Kong from Britain in 1997, China promised to maintain such a system. But in recent years, it has betrayed the promise and absorbed the territory into the mainland’s authoritarian system, cracking down on public protests, arresting dissidents and journalists, and shutting down the free press — including Apple Daily, which published its last print edition on June 24, 2021, after the government seized its assets and forced a closure.
When he was 12, Mr. Lai fled his home in China for Hong Kong. There he worked as an apprentice in sweatshops, while also learning English. After acquiring a failing garment factory, he started a clothing retailer with shops across Asia. In 1995, Lai founded Apple Daily, which he bought from a media tycoon to finance his venture into the publishing industry. Apple Daily became the voice of democracy and civil rights, Mr. Lai becoming a critic of Beijing’s leaders.
In an attempt to intimidate and humiliate Mr. Lai, the government has taken him into custody several times over recent years. However, the charges against Mr. Lai in his upcoming trial are some of the most grave. Conviction could lead to life imprisonment. In June 2021, he was accused of colluding with foreign powers — a ludicrous charge. Police claimed some 30 articles in Apple Daily played a “crucial part” in a conspiracy with governments abroad to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong — sanctions that were in response to China’s suppression of democracy in Hong Kong. In an ominous turn, six of Apple Daily’s top executives recently pleaded guilty to the collusion charges and some might testify against Mr. Lai. While the trial is set to start on Thursday, it could be delayed due to legal arguments over whether Mr. Lai may be represented by an English lawyer.
Apple Daily and Mr. Lai aren’t criminals. The attempt to extinguish this bright light of journalism and democracy illustrates once again the long shadow of intolerance and oppression that China’s Communist Party is casting over Hong Kong.
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