Jimmy Lai, jailed 76 year old Hong Kong publisher/democracy activist

 I'm a member of PEN Canada. This post is from today's newsletter.  Like Jimmy Lai I'm also 76 years old, and I sure can't imagine being in solitary confinement for four years.

#FreeJimmyLai

Jimmy Lai is the recipient of the 2024 PEN Canada One Humanity Award Jimmy Lai, a journalist, writer, media publisher, and pro-democracy activist, has won PEN Canada’s One Humanity Award. He has been in solitary confinement since December 2020, and is currently facing a potential life sentence for his journalism in Hong Kong.   The 76-year old writer and UK citizen has been targeted for his journalism and pro-democracy activism. He was the owner of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, once regarded as Hong Kong’s most prolific pro-democracy news outlet. PEN believes that Lai’s ongoing detention is emblematic of the devastating impact the 2020 National Security Law (NSL) has had on freedom of expression across Hong Kong. His case is illustrative of the government’s willingness to use the legal system to silence dissent. The One Humanity Award, established in 2006, is given to a writer whose work transcends the boundaries of national divides and inspires connections across cultures.   MORE ON HIS CASE "He knew that he was doing the right thing"  Last week on PBS News Hour, speaking alongside Lai's international legal team member Caoilfhionn Gallagher, his son Sebastian Lai said: "My father has been campaigning for democracy for the last 30 years, and he always had a way out, as in he could always just retire, go to London. And he decided to make the hard decision to stay in Hong Kong to campaign for what he knows is right. And when the hammer came down, when the national security law came down, he knew that, if he left, he would open his journalists up to attacks from the government. And so he decided to stay, to act as a shield." WATCH PBS NEWS HOUR Press: Son of imprisoned Jimmy Lai pleads with Canada to put pressure on Hong Kong to show mercy STORY IN NATIONAL POST Join the call to #FreeJimmyLai Time is not on our side: Lai is 76 years old, in solitary confinement, diabetic, and facing a trial date in two months. Spread the word with us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, using the hashtag #FreeJimmyLai.

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