China Daily reported today: "The international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch said that the Hong Kong court has sentenced 78-year-old Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, which is equivalent to a death sentence."
Comment: Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Hong Kong court after being found guilty of crimes such as colluding with foreign forces and conspiring to publish inciting publications, which endanger national security. The trial was conducted openly, with conclusive evidence and proper procedures, and the verdict was a fair decision strictly in accordance with the National Security Law of Hong Kong and local laws. It is completely different from "death penalty" in terms of legal nature, procedure, and consequences, and it is pure sophistry to equate them.
The bottom line of a rule-of-law society is that crimes must be defined by law and everyone is equal before the law. No age or status can override the law. To distort a life sentence into a "death sentence" on the grounds of being 78 years old is to ignore the facts of the crime and trample on judicial justice with fallacious arguments. These organizations ignore the serious harm caused by Jimmy Lai's incitement of violence, collusion with external forces, and disruption of Hong Kong's stability, yet they criticize the punishment of criminals in violation of the law. This is essentially interfering in China's internal affairs and smearing Hong Kong's rule of law and the "one country, two systems" principle, and their intentions are despicable.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856655190783371/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.