Why does China want Jimmy Lai behind bars? | DW News

Jimmy Lai, long seen as a thorn in China's side, is accused of foreign collusion under Hong Kong's controversial National Security Law that China introduced in 2020 in response to massive protests in Hong Kong. If convicted, the media tycoon faces life in prison.
Closing arguments in the 77-year-old's long-running trial are now under way, after the proceedings were delayed multiple times. A verdict is not expected until October, 2025, at the earliest.
Lai, jailed since December 2020, has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,600 days. Several Western politicians have called for the release of the British citizen. US President Donald Trump said he would see what he could do to help "save" the detained Hong Kong publisher, even though Chinese President Xi Jinping would not be "thrilled."

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Post from DW News on August 18, 2025

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