Letters | Jimmy Lai case verdict and State Council’s white paper send strong message

The court’s findings were unequivocal: Lai was the “mastermind” behind a series of conspiracies. Far from merely exercising freedom of the press, Lai orchestrated three conspiracies – two involving collusion with foreign forces and one involving seditious publications. He deliberately used his media empire to incite hatred against the central and local governments.

Lai’s activities were not impulsive acts but constituted a well-orchestrated, prolonged campaign both before and after the enactment of the national security law in 2020.

He actively lobbied for hostile activities against the Hong Kong government and our nation. These were calculated efforts to undermine the city’s economic and political stability.

In 2019, Hong Kong was pushed to the brink of chaos by violent protests. By leveraging his influence to fuel public distrust of the Hong Kong government, Lai posed a severe threat to national security. As the white paper emphasises, the central government holds the ultimate responsibility for national security and the Hong Kong government has a constitutional duty to implement the national security law.

During Lai’s trial, Hong Kong’s judicial system demonstrated remarkable fairness and transparency. Despite the gravity of the offence which could have warranted life imprisonment, the court applied appropriate leniency in the sentence, taking into account factors such as the defendant’s age and health. This mitigation reflects the core principle articulated in the national security law and the white paper: human rights are protected while national security is being safeguarded. The trial was conducted in open court, adhering strictly to legal procedures and further cementing the independence of Hong Kong’s judicial system.