Jimmy Lai Awarded Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award for Contributions to Hong Kong Democracy Movement
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, sentenced to 20 years in prison, has been awarded the 'Freedom of Speech Award' by German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The award recognizes his significant contributions to Hong Kong's democracy movement.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 22:48
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Central News Agency (London, 1st, comprehensive foreign report) Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, who was heavily sentenced to 20 years in prison, has been awarded the 'Freedom of Speech Award' by German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong's democracy movement.
According to The Guardian, the 12th Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award will be presented on June 23rd at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. As Jimmy Lai is currently imprisoned, he will be absent from the award ceremony.
Deutsche Welle Director General Barbara Massing praised Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, for 'always upholding press freedom at great personal risk.'
Massing pointed out: 'Through Apple Daily, he provided a platform for journalists to report freely and spoke out for Hong Kong's democracy movement. His persistence reminds us that press freedom is never a given, but must be constantly defended. Through the Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award, we pay tribute to his indispensable dedication to democratic values.'
Jimmy Lai, a British citizen, was one of Hong Kong's most prominent and outspoken democracy advocates before his imprisonment. He provided financial support to pro-democracy parties and politicians and participated in the large-scale democracy protests from 2019 to 2020.
Hong Kong authorities arrested Jimmy Lai in 2020, accusing him of using Apple Daily and his political connections to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong.
In February this year, a Hong Kong court sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for charges including 'collusion with foreign forces' and 'publishing seditious materials.'
Human rights organizations and the British government criticized the verdict as politically motivated. Human Rights Watch warned that, considering Jimmy Lai's age, this sentence is essentially equivalent to a 'death sentence.'
Deutsche Welle established the Freedom of Speech Award in 2015, focusing on the state of restricted press freedom worldwide and honoring outstanding contributions by journalists and human rights defenders. (Compiler: Liu Shu-chin) 1150501
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According to The Guardian, the 12th Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award will be presented on June 23rd at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. As Jimmy Lai is currently imprisoned, he will be absent from the award ceremony.
Deutsche Welle Director General Barbara Massing praised Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, for 'always upholding press freedom at great personal risk.'
Massing pointed out: 'Through Apple Daily, he provided a platform for journalists to report freely and spoke out for Hong Kong's democracy movement. His persistence reminds us that press freedom is never a given, but must be constantly defended. Through the Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award, we pay tribute to his indispensable dedication to democratic values.'
Jimmy Lai, a British citizen, was one of Hong Kong's most prominent and outspoken democracy advocates before his imprisonment. He provided financial support to pro-democracy parties and politicians and participated in the large-scale democracy protests from 2019 to 2020.
Hong Kong authorities arrested Jimmy Lai in 2020, accusing him of using Apple Daily and his political connections to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong.
In February this year, a Hong Kong court sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for charges including 'collusion with foreign forces' and 'publishing seditious materials.'
Human rights organizations and the British government criticized the verdict as politically motivated. Human Rights Watch warned that, considering Jimmy Lai's age, this sentence is essentially equivalent to a 'death sentence.'
Deutsche Welle established the Freedom of Speech Award in 2015, focusing on the state of restricted press freedom worldwide and honoring outstanding contributions by journalists and human rights defenders. (Compiler: Liu Shu-chin) 1150501
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.