From migrant child to business tycoon
Born in 1947 in Guangzhou, Lai fled to Hong Kong as a 12-year-old stowaway seeking opportunity, as per news agency The Associated Press (AP). He began as a child labourer in a glove factory before entering the garment trade.In 1981, he founded Giordano, a casual clothing brand that expanded internationally with hundreds of outlets.
The 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown marked a turning point. Giordano printed T-shirts supporting pro-democracy protesters, pushing Lai toward political engagement and media ventures.
After he insulted then-Premier Li Peng in an open letter, pressure from Beijing contributed to his decision to sell his stake in Giordano in the mid-1990s, as per AP.
Building a media empire and political voice
Lai entered publishing in 1990 with Next Magazine and launched the tabloid Apple Daily in 1995. The newspaper became known for its investigative reporting and outspoken criticism of both Hong Kong and Beijing authorities.
Lai later testified: “The more you are in the know, the more you are free,” as per AP.Read more: Hong Kong former media tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in national security case
He was an active participant in major protest movements. During the Umbrella Movement of 2014, he joined demonstrators demanding universal suffrage.
In 2019, he again took to the streets and met senior US officials, including then Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a move that angered Beijing.
Lai’s arrest, trial and conviction
Following the imposition of Beijing’s national security law in 2020, Lai was arrested on charges including collusion with foreign forces.
Police raids on his media company sent shockwaves through Hong Kong’s news industry, and Apple Daily shut down in 2021 after its assets were frozen.
On Monday, February 9, the 78-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a lengthy trial. The punishment has been described as the harshest under the security law as Lai has spent much of his detention in solitary confinement, and his health deteriorating.
Before his arrest, Lai had said that he would “fight on till the last day,” as per Reuters.
A devout Catholic, Lai has relied on his faith during incarceration. During his trial, he insisted his writings lacked seditious intent, stating: “For truth prevails in God’s kingdom, and that’s good enough for me.”
Authorities maintain his prosecution is unrelated to press freedom, while critics see the case as emblematic of Hong Kong’s tightening political climate. And China and Chinese government’s allies supporting the verdict.
