Statement on Jimmy Lai’s conviction: editing a newspaper is not a crime

Institutional communiqué

The International Journalism Club Velours rejects the twenty-year prison sentence imposed on Jimmy Lai, founder of the newspaper Apple Daily.

Editing a newspaper, publishing critical opinion, and maintaining international contacts are activities inherent to journalism, not crimes. Applying national-security legislation to editorial work turns any inconvenient publication into a criminal risk.

We call for Jimmy Lai’s release, given also his age and state of health, and join the organizations demanding freedom for all journalists jailed for their work.