Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison under the city's national security law, a decision that has drawn condemnation from the United States and human rights groups. The sentence, handed down by a Beijing-backed court, marks the harshest punishment yet under the controversial law, which China imposed after widespread pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Lai, a 78-year-old British citizen and prominent media figure, was convicted of colluding with foreign forces. According to BBC World, the sentencing has been called a "death sentence" by rights groups, given Lai's age and his family's concerns about his health. Hong Kong's leader, however, expressed satisfaction with the verdict.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the sentence, calling it "unjust and tragic." He stated that the conviction "shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong," according to Fox News.
In other news, Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the U.S. House Oversight Committee during a closed-door deposition. Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, invoked her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, according to BBC World. Republican House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer expressed disappointment, stating that the committee had "many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed."
Meanwhile, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have called for the full release of files related to the late sex offender. In a 40-second video released by the World Without Exploitation group, survivors held up photographs and stated, "we all deserve the truth." The U.S. Department of Justice was required by law to make all files public in December of last year, but only some have been released, many with redactions, according to BBC World.
In other political news, actress Rosie Perez stated that she predicted Kamala Harris would lose the 2024 election and claimed that the campaign did not listen to her warnings. Perez made the comments during a podcast episode, according to Fox News.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment