The United States condemns the arrest of businessman Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong and calls on China to repeal the region’s new national security law. This was told by the adviser to US President Donald Trump on national security Robert O’Brien.
The adviser recalled that together with Lai, his two sons and a number of company employees were arrested. O’Brien called the entrepreneur “a powerful voice for the fundamental rights and freedoms that Beijing has guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong,” and said Lai’s arrest is yet another violation of Beijing’s obligations to the region and the world.
“We support Jimmy Lai, his sons and colleagues and call on Beijing to repeal the national security law and immediately restore the rule of law in Hong Kong,” O’Brien was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
On August 10, it became known that law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong had detained the pro-democratic founder of the Apple Daily tabloid Jimmy Lai in the case of violating the new law on protecting national security.
Jimmy Lai last year supported anti-government protests in Hong Kong that erupted after the extradition law was amended. According to the police, more than 9.2 thousand people were detained then.
On June 30, a law on the country’s national security came into force in China. It identifies four types of crimes in Hong Kong that are considered a threat to statehood: separatist activities, attempts to undermine state power, terrorist activities, conspiracy with foreign states or forces in order to endanger national security.