L'Unità: Jimmy Lai non ricorre in appello, l’attivista pro-democrazia di Hong Kong condannato a 20 anni rischia di morire in cella

Salvo clamorosi colpi di scena, che al momento non si vedono all’orizzonte, Jimmy Lai trascorrerà il resto della sua vita in carcere. L’imprenditore e attivista per la democrazia di Hong Kong ha deciso di non ricorrere in appello contro la condanna a 20 anni di reclusione che gli è stata inflitta a febbraio in un processo per “cospirazione” legato all’introduzione nell’ex colonia britannica delle nuove leggi liberticide sulla sicurezza nazionale imposte da Pechino.
A renderlo noto è stato il quotidiano locale South China Morning Post, citando le dichiarazioni di uno degli avvocati di Lai. Il termine per la presentazione del ricorso è fissato entro 28 giorni dalla sentenza e scadrà lunedì 9 marzo, ma Lai non ha intenzione di opporsi alla condanna.
Nel processo all’ex magnate dell’editoria, tre giudici della Corte di primo grado hanno stabilito che Lai ha utilizzato il suo giornale Apple Daily, fondato nel 1995 e chiuso nel 2021, e la sua rete di contatti internazionali, per promuovere sanzioni contro il governo della Cina e l’amministrazione di Hong Kong. Con Lai sono stati condannati sei ex dirigenti del quotidiano indipendente, con pene che vanno dai 6 anni e nove mesi ai 10 anni di reclusione, mentre due attivisti sono stati condannati fino a 7 anni e 3 mesi per lo stesso reato. I giudici avevano inoltre imposto multe per 1,15 milioni di dollari a tre aziende responsabili delle operazioni del giornale.
Quella di Lai è stata una condanna di fatto all’ergastolo: l’attivista ha 78 anni, è recluso dal 2020 e non tiene conto delle condizioni precarie di salute dell’imprenditore, malato di diabete e che in questi anni di carcere ha sofferto di palpitazioni, col regime che non ha consentito visite da parte di medici esterni.
Lo scorso 26 febbraio Lai aveva ottenuto a sorpresa una sentenza favorevole dall’Alta Corte di Hong Kong, che aveva annullato una condanna per truffa nei confronti dell’attivista. La decisione riguarda una sentenza a 5 anni e nove mesi di reclusione emessa nel dicembre del 2022 per una violazione relativa a un contratto d’affitto della sede del quotidiano Apple Daily.

Jimmy Lai will not appeal, the pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong sentenced to 20 years risks dying in prison.

Unless there are dramatic twists of events that don’t currently appear on the horizon, Jimmy Lai will spend the rest of his life in prison. The businessman and pro-democracy activist for Hong Kong has decided not to appeal against the sentence of 20 years imprisonment handed down in February as part of a trial for “conspiracy” related to the introduction of Beijing’s new national security laws, which are restrictive, into the former British colony.

This was revealed by the local South China Morning Post newspaper, citing the statements of one of Lai’s lawyers. The deadline for submitting an appeal is set within 28 days of the verdict and expires Monday, March 9th, but Lai has no intention of opposing the sentence.

At the trial of the former media magnate, three judges of the District Court established that Lai had used his newspaper, Apple Daily, founded in 1995 and closed in 2021, and his international network of contacts to promote sanctions against the Chinese government and the administration of Hong Kong. Six former executives of the independent newspaper were sentenced, with prison terms ranging from 6 years and 9 months to 10 years, while two activists were sentenced to up to 7 years and 3 months for the same offense. The judges also imposed fines of $1.15 million on three companies responsible for the newspaper’s operations.

Lai’s sentence was effectively a life sentence: the activist is 78 years old, has been imprisoned since 2020, and does not take into account the precarious health conditions of the businessman, who suffers from diabetes and has suffered from palpitations in recent years, with the regime not allowing visits by external doctors.

On February 26th, Lai surprisingly obtained a favorable ruling from the High Court of Hong Kong, which overturned a sentence for fraud against the activist. The decision concerned a sentence of 5 years and 9 months imprisonment issued in December 2022 related to a breach concerning a lease agreement for the Apple Daily newspaper’s headquarters.

#JimmyLai #HongKong #Beijing #British #SouthChina #theDistrictCourt #AppleDaily #Chinese

https://www.unita.it/2026/03/06/jimmy-lai-non-ricorre-appello-condanna-attivista-hong-kong/

[18:32] Man who sent ‘abhorrent’ voice-notes to ex-girlfriend which left judge in ‘state of shock’ has jail sentence overturned

A man who broke a protection order by sending his ex-partner “abhorrent” voice notes, which a judge described as “the worst he’d ever heard”, has had his custodial sentence overturned and is to pay €5,000 to the victim. The appeal from the District Court heard audio of the messages where the man said: “Mark my words you little fat, horrible, c**t, I’ll have the last laugh.” The 33-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was appealing against the severity of a six-month custodial sentence he received after sending threatening voice messages and a video of himself driving outside his ex-girlfriend’s house. The man had pleaded guilty to contravening a protection order made on November 14, 2023 by watching the place where the woman resides and communicated with her by electronic means, contrary to section 33 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018. The Snapchat messages were sent over the space of about three hours on the 2nd and 3rd of December, 2023 in which the man called his ex a “scummy knacker” and said “she’s getting banged, we all know”. After listening to the audio yesterday, Judge James O’Donoghue said: "This is the worst I have ever heard, it’s very distressing." He noted that the injured party “seems distressed after all these years” and that he was “actually in a state of shock” after listening to the audio. Speaking in court yesterday, the man’s ex partner said that she lived in “fear of the threats”, adding: “I’m constantly watching my back.” She told the judge that since receiving the messages, she has been going to counselling at her own expense, which costs €60 euro per week. The man had previously paid compensation of €1,000. Asma Saleh BL, defence counsel for the man, said that his client had “fallen on really hard times” and his behaviour at the time was due to substance abuse. The man had originally been sentenced to an eight-month custodial sentence with the last two months suspended in the District Court. Speaking today, Judge O’Donoghue said: “I read through the file and listened to the abhorrent recording of the messages left for his former girlfriend”. He said that the audio was “shocking beyond belief” with “horrendous offending remarks”. The judge said that although the appellant was “very, very close to a custodial sentence”, he said that sending the man to jail “would be of no real benefit to the injured party”. The judge allowed the appellant to apologise to the injured party and her mother in front of the court, telling him “you are inches away from custody”. The judge ordered that €5,000 be paid to the injured party, with €1,000 to be paid within a week and the remainder to be paid within nine months. He also ordered the man to complete 240 hours of community service in lieu of the custodial sentence, to be completed within 12 months.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-who-sent-abhorrent-voice-notes-to-ex-girlfriend-which-left-judge-in-state-of-shock-has-jail-sentence-overturned/a1431984764.html

#5,000 #theDistrictCourt #33_year_old #six_month #November14,2023 #33 #Snapchat #aboutthreehours #the2ndand3rdofDecember #2023 #yesterday #JamesO’Donoghue #€60euro #1,000 #AsmaSalehBL #eight_month #thelasttwomonths #today #O’Donoghue #aweek #ninemonths #240hours #12months

[05:58 PM] Amsterdam judge victim of doxing after overturning Islamic preachers' entry ban

The District Court of Amsterdam has filed a criminal complaint after personal details and photographs of a judge and his partner

https://nltimes.nl/2025/02/24/amsterdam-judge-victim-doxing-overturning-islamic-preachers-entry-ban

#TheDistrictCourt #Amsterdam

[11:10 AM] Suspects convicted in fatal stabbing at 2023 Amsterdam festival Solid Grooves

The District Court of Amsterdam has

https://nltimes.nl/2025/01/14/suspects-convicted-fatal-stabbing-2023-amsterdam-festival-solid-grooves

#TheDistrictCourt #Amsterdam

[03:40 PM] Court orders Ede café hostage-taker to indefinite psychiatric ward, but no prison time

The man who confessed to taking four workers hostage at a café in Ede earlier this year was found guilty by the District Court of Gelderland on Tuesday.

https://nltimes.nl/2024/12/24/court-orders-ede-cafe-hostage-taker-indefinite-psychiatric-ward-prison-time

#four #Ede #earlierthisyear #theDistrictCourt #Gelderland #Tuesday

[04:10 PM] Mother convicted in cold case inquiry into newborn's 2006 death gets 5 years in prison

The District Court in Arnhem sentenced 41-year-old Margot H. to 5 years in prison on Wednesday after finding her guilty of killing her baby in January 2006.

https://nltimes.nl/2024/12/18/mother-convicted-cold-case-inquiry-newborns-2006-death-gets-5-years-prison

#TheDistrictCourt #Arnhem #41_year_old #MargotH.to #5years #Wednesday #January2006

[23:07] Veterinary inspector sees animal cruelty sentence reduced

A veterinary inspector who was banned from keeping animals for seven years and fined €4,000 in the District Court has had the severity of his sentence reduced on appeal in the Circuit Court.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/1203/1484555-animal-cruelty-sentence/

#sevenyears #4,000 #theDistrictCourt #theCircuitCourt

[11:20 AM] Donny M. found guilty of murder, abduction & sexual assault of 9-year old Gino

The District Court in Limburg convicted Donny M.

https://nltimes.nl/2024/11/27/donny-m-found-guilty-murder-abduction-sexual-assault-9-year-old-gino

#TheDistrictCourt #Limburg #DonnyM.

[09:10 PM] Suspect convicted in 2023 fatal machete stabbing in Rotterdam city center

The District Court in Rotterdam convicted 20-year-old Tashyke L. from Spijkenisse in the slaying of 22-year-old Richairo Mariën from Helmond. L.

https://nltimes.nl/2024/11/20/suspect-convicted-2023-fatal-machete-stabbing-rotterdam-city-center

#TheDistrictCourt #Rotterdam #20_year_old #TashykeL. #Spijkenisse #22_year_old #RichairoMariën #Helmond

[19:48] Kriegel murderer identification case before Supreme Court

Revisiting court jurisdictional decisions could lead to "procedural chaos", the Supreme Court has heard in the case of three people who are accused of identifying Ana Kriegel's teenage murderers and who argue they should not have been sent from the District Court to the higher level Circuit Court.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/1015/1475647-ana-kriegel-appeal/

#theSupremeCourt #three #AnaKriegel's #theDistrictCourt #CircuitCourt