Jimmy Lai’s trial is a headline-worthy example of injustice
A new biography aims to keep the public’s attention on the pro-democracy tycoon
Spectators might have expected him to be dispirited. But Jimmy Lai grinned from the stand in late November 2024; spotting loved ones in the public gallery, he waved and blew kisses. The pro-democracy media tycoon was testifying in his national-security trial, which began in December 2023. Already the 77-year-old has been locked behind bars for more than four years, mostly in solitary confinement. This was a show of defiance from a man who has spent his life defending freedom—and will probably die doing so.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “No crime, plenty of punishment”
Culture January 11th 2025
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