10/02/2026 Culture, Science, Education and Media
PACE’s General Rapporteur on media freedom and safety of journalists, Valentina Grippo (Italy, ALDE), made the following statement today:
“I am deeply concerned by the twenty-year prison sentence handed down yesterday to British media businessman Jimmy Lai by Hong Kong's High Court. Mr Lai was found guilty on 15 December 2025 of two national security charges and a sedition charge under the controversial National Security Law. This judicial process, described as “nothing more than a sham” by Reporters Without Borders, is a blatant attack on press freedom and independent journalism in Hong Kong.
Mr Lai is a media businessman, founder of the now-closed newspaper Apple Daily, and a supporter of freedom of expression and the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. I condemn his imprisonment and call on the Hong Kong authorities to release him immediately, especially taking into consideration his advanced age and deteriorating health.”