Freedom of the Press: Freedom of Speech Award for Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai

Lai, who also holds a British passport, is considered one of the most prominent voices of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the Chinese Special Administrative Region in February. In December, the media mogul was found guilty of conspiring to collaborate with foreign forces and publishing seditious publications.

Commitment to freedom of the press at great personal risk

DW director Barbara Massing explained: “Jimmy Lai, at great personal risk, steadfastly stood up for press freedom in Hong Kong, even as the space for independent journalism became increasingly smaller.” His commitment is a reminder that freedom of the press can never be taken for granted, but must be defended on a daily basis.

The DW Freedom of Speech Award will be presented on June 23rd in Bonn. Lai had already been awarded the “Press Freedom Prize” by the Media Association of the Free Press and the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers at the end of March. The award ceremony will take place on May 6th in Berlin.