{"id":5822,"date":"2025-12-18T09:59:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T09:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=5822"},"modified":"2025-12-18T09:59:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T09:59:47","slug":"g7-calls-for-jimmy-lais-release-china-slams-interference-in-its-affairs-freedom-of-the-press-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=5822","title":{"rendered":"G7 calls for Jimmy Lai\u2019s release, China slams \u2018interference\u2019 in its affairs | Freedom of the Press News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>G7 governments call on Hong Kong authorities to \u2018end such prosecutions\u2019, release pro-democracy media tycoon immediately.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 18 Dec 2025<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">18 Dec 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies have condemned the prosecution of pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai by Hong Kong authorities, in a move that Chinese officials have dismissed as \u201ccrude interference in China\u2019s internal affairs\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, a panel of three judges found the 78-year-old media tycoon guilty of two counts of conspiring with foreign forces to threaten national security and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Lai will be sentenced early next year and faces the possibility of life in prison.<\/p>\n<p>In a brief joint statement issued by G7 members Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States on Wednesday, authorities in Hong Kong were called on to \u201cend such prosecutions and to release Jimmy Lai immediately\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe continue to express our concerns about deteriorating rights, freedoms and autonomy in Hong Kong,\u201d the G7 said.<\/p>\n<p>Responding to the statement, China\u2019s state-run Global Times newspaper quoted an unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada as saying it represented a \u201ccrude interference in China\u2019s internal affairs\u201d and a \u201cserious violation of the basic norms governing international relations\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe urge the relevant parties to respect China\u2019s sovereignty and Hong Kong\u2019s rule of law, and to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong\u2019s judicial affairs and China\u2019s internal affairs,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>Lai, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been in detention for five years since his arrest during a series of antigovernment protests that gripped Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Chinese authorities introduced a draconian national security law in Hong Kong as part of a harsh crackdown by Beijing on dissent in the territory following the mass protests. The law established secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign organisations as crimes carrying hefty punishment.<\/p>\n<p>Lai\u2019s case represents the most high-profile use of that law to date, with critics condemning his trial as politically motivated.<\/p>\n<p>US President Donald Trump has publicly backed Lai, repeatedly promising to do what he can to \u201csave\u201d him.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong insist Lai has been given a fair trial, with the Chinese embassy in Canada reiterating in its Wednesday statement that \u201ceveryone is equal before the law\u201d in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJimmy Lai is a principal planner and participant in a series of major anti-China, destabilising activities in [Hong Kong]. His crimes are well documented and the harm he has caused is grave,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe judicial authorities of [Hong Kong] have performed their duties in accordance with the law, upheld the authority of the law, and safeguarded national security. This is reasonable, lawful, and beyond reproach,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n<p>Lai is set to reappear in court on January 12 for a pre-sentencing hearing. His lawyer said the jailed activist will decide whether to appeal after sentencing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>G7 governments call on Hong Kong authorities to \u2018end such prosecutions\u2019, release pro-democracy media tycoon immediately. Published On 18 Dec 202518 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies have condemned the prosecution of pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai by Hong Kong authorities, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}