Hong Kong Billionaire and Pro-Democracy activist, Jimmy Lai is looking at a total of 20 months of jail time after 14 months of extra time was slapped on him for taking part in a protest on October 2019.
The 73 year old also faces two other charges which could see him serve a life sentence based on China’s new national security law, a spin off from the extradition bill that shook Hong Kong in 2019.
Alongside Lai, Figo Chan, Leung Kwok-hung and Lee Cheuk-yan were sentenced to 18-months in prison. The presiding Judge, Amanda Woodcock claimed that the presumptions that the protest in October, 2019 could have been peaceful was naive and unrealistic.
Jimmy Lai is one of the most prominent persons to be indicted for the Hong Kong Protests. Estimated to be worth over $1 billion, and founder of Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily, his assets have now been frozen by the authorities and Banking giants have been cautioned that stiff consequences will ensue for any transactions on his accounts.
Lai had publicly stated that he wouldn’t give in to any intimidation as fear is the cheapest and most effective method of control.