The US on Monday slammed a Hong Kong court's decision to sentence former media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, urging authorities to grant him humanitarian parole.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sentence showed that Beijing is willing to go to "extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms" in Hong Kong.
"The Hong Kong High Court's decision to sentence Jimmy Lai to 20 years is an unjust and tragic conclusion to this case," Rubio said, adding that the move cast aside international commitments China made under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.
"After enduring a trial lasting two years, and detention in prison for more than five, Mr. Lai and his family have suffered enough. The United States urges the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole," Rubio added.
A Hong Kong court sentenced Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, to 20 years in prison on charges under the National Security Law.
The High Court last December found Lai guilty on three counts, including two charges of "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
The trial formally began on Dec. 18, 2023, and was heard by three judges appointed under Hong Kong's national security law, which China imposed in 2020 following protests a year earlier.
