Four years after Apple Daily’s closure, calls grow louder for Jimmy Lai’s release

June 24 marks four years since the closure of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, once a symbol of the city’s vibrant press freedom and an unwavering critic of Beijing’s tightening grip.

The anniversary has reignited global calls from rights groups, press freedom advocates, and journalists demanding the release of the paper’s jailed founder and editor, Jimmy Lai, whose fate has become emblematic of Hong Kong’s eroding freedoms.

Once dubbed the “Voice of the Opposition,” Apple Daily was more than a newspaper—it was a platform for dissent, an outlet that gave space to the grievances of millions of Hong Kongers disillusioned by the mainland’s growing influence.

Its closure on June 24, 2021, following a dramatic police raid, marked a watershed moment in the city’s transformation from a semi-autonomous enclave of relative freedoms to a tightly controlled territory under China’s expanding authoritarian reach.

At the heart of this story is Jimmy Lai, a media tycoon-turned-democracy activist, whose steadfast defiance of Beijing has made him a revered yet persecuted figure.

Lai, now 76, has spent years behind bars, facing charges under the sweeping National Security Law (NSL) imposed by Beijing in 2020.

His ongoing trial, which began in December 2023, is widely seen as politically motivated and has sparked international condemnation from Western governments, press associations, and human rights organisations.

Rights groups marked the anniversary with renewed appeals for Lai’s immediate release.

“Jimmy Lai’s only crime is believing in free speech and democracy,” said a spokesperson from Reporters Without Borders, urging the Hong Kong authorities to drop all charges against him.

Amnesty International echoed these sentiments, describing Lai’s trial as “a sham designed to crush dissent and intimidate independent media.”

Lai’s arrest and the forced shutdown of Apple Daily sent shockwaves across Hong Kong and the international community.

The newsroom was raided by hundreds of police officers, its assets frozen, and senior staff detained under allegations of “collusion with foreign forces.”

Within days, the paper published its final edition, with Hong Kongers queuing for hours to get a copy—a stark, silent protest against what many saw as the death knell of press freedom in the city.

For decades, Hong Kong was regarded as a bastion of free expression within the region, protected by the “one country, two systems” framework agreed upon during the city’s 1997 handover from British rule.

That framework promised a high degree of autonomy and protection of civil liberties for 50 years.

However, the introduction of the NSL fundamentally altered that promise, criminalising acts deemed as secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forces—terms so vaguely defined they effectively outlaw a wide spectrum of dissent.

Jimmy Lai, long a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), became one of the law’s highest-profile targets.

His advocacy for democratic reforms, his support for the 2019 pro-democracy protests, and his willingness to speak out on international platforms placed him firmly in Beijing’s crosshairs.

His prosecution has been widely condemned as part of a broader campaign to silence dissent, crush the independent media, and bring Hong Kong into line with the CCP’s rigid authoritarian model.

The reverberations of Apple Daily’s closure continue to be felt across Hong Kong’s media landscape.

Other outlets, once bold in their editorial stances, have been shuttered or have chosen self-censorship to avoid running afoul of authorities.

Journalists operate under a constant cloud of fear, and press freedom rankings for the city have plummeted.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Hong Kong has dropped to 135th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, a precipitous fall from its once enviable position.

Lai’s case has taken on international significance, not only as a barometer of Hong Kong’s shrinking freedoms but as a symbol of the global struggle for press rights.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and members of the European Union have repeatedly called for his release, with Washington labelling the charges “politically motivated” and London’s Foreign Office expressing deep concern for Lai, a British citizen.

In response, Beijing and Hong Kong officials have dismissed international criticism, portraying Lai as a criminal who endangered national security.

They argue that the NSL is necessary to restore stability following the 2019 anti-government protests, which saw millions of Hong Kongers take to the streets demanding democratic reforms and resisting Beijing’s encroachment.

Yet, for many Hong Kong residents and democracy supporters worldwide, the closure of Apple Daily and the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai have come to symbolise the erosion of the freedoms that once defined the city.

Activists warn that Lai’s imprisonment sends a chilling message to all who dare to challenge Beijing’s narrative.

Despite the grim outlook, Jimmy Lai remains unbowed.

In letters smuggled from prison and through his legal team, Lai has repeatedly expressed that he has no regrets.

“If we believe in the values of freedom, we must be prepared to make sacrifices,” he reportedly told his legal team.

His defiance, even from behind bars, continues to inspire supporters both inside and outside Hong Kong.

This anniversary also serves as a moment of reflection on what has been lost.

Once bustling with diverse voices, Hong Kong’s media landscape now operates under strict scrutiny. Independent journalism—once a defining characteristic of the city—has been severely curtailed, with many outlets shut down, journalists arrested, and editorial independence eroded.

For rights groups and press advocates, the call for Jimmy Lai’s release is about more than one man; it is about defending the principle of a free press and resisting authoritarian overreach.

His case has become a litmus test for how far the world is willing to go in defending fundamental rights in Hong Kong and, by extension, in the face of growing authoritarianism globally.

As the fourth anniversary of Apple Daily’s closure passes, the city remains a shadow of its former self—its once-vibrant civil society subdued, its press muzzled, its democracy movement crushed.

Yet, the spirit embodied by Apple Daily and Jimmy Lai continues to echo in the halls of international forums and among those who refuse to forget Hong Kong’s fight for freedom.