Hong Kong Political Prisoners – WSJ

The maximum sentence is life imprisonment, and there is no guarantee that the Chinese authorities will not extradite Lai to the mainland. A first instance court infuriated Beijing last week when it granted bail and allowed Lai to await his trial under house arrest, provided he refrained from giving interviews, posting on social media or making public statements.

The prosecution cited Article 42 of the security law, which states that no bail can be granted “unless the judge has sufficient reason to believe that the suspect or defendant will not continue to commit acts that endanger national security.” Mr. Lai does not represent this threat. He courageously chose not to flee, despite having a British passport, and China wants to make him an example to stifle all criticism.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, a Shenzhen court has handed down severe sentences to 10 Hong Kong residents who were arrested when they fled to Taiwan by boat. The authorities would not allow these displeased refugees to meet with lawyers hired by their families, and on Wednesday, the court sentenced the ten days between seven months and three years, almost certainly spent in China’s opaque and notorious prison system. .

Beijing now considers it a crime to try to escape persecution in Hong Kong. This is Soviet or North Korean behavior, and we expect Joe Biden and his employees to speak out against him.