National Press Club Statement on Journalist Jimmy Lai's Detention Milestone

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. today issued the following statement:

"Today marks a grim milestone for press freedom around the globe.

On Jan. 31, 2026, journalist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai will have spent 1,862 days in detention in Hong Kong, now awaiting a potential life sentence. Mr. Lai, the founder of Apple Daily, was convicted under Hong Kong's national security law in December following a trial conducted without a jury. His publishing activity and public commentary were central to the case.

At 78 years old, after years in custody and amid publicly reported health concerns, the possibility that Mr. Lai could face life imprisonment underscores the gravity of today's milestone and of the sentencing outcome.

Let us be clear: Journalism is not a crime. How journalists and publishers are treated remains one of the clearest measures of a society's commitment to transparency and the rule of law. That Mr. Lai has spent 1,862 days in detention, much of it in solitary confinement, shows a disregard for independent journalists whose job it is to hold the government to account for its people.

A free press is a cornerstone of public accountability and an essential element of any open society.

Both the closure of Apple Daily and the prosecution of Mr. Lai have been widely followed since his arrest in 2020 as indicators of how press freedom and judicial safeguards are being applied in Hong Kong. Trials that criminalize reporting raise fundamental questions about due process and the future of independent media.

The National Press Club strongly urges sustained international engagement and diplomatic efforts on behalf of Mr. Lai as his sentence is considered."

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 2,500 members, the Club, through its Press Freedom Center, is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Beth Francesco, [email protected], for the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club

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SOURCE National Press Club