Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily who is currently undergoing his sentence of 20 years in prison in Hong Kong, has been awarded the “Freedom of Expression Award” by the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), in recognition of his commitment to defending press freedom.
According to DW , Barbara Massing, the director general of the broadcaster said that although the space for press freedom in Hong Kong is increasingly shrinking, Lai has continued to uphold press freedom despite enormous risks.
“With Apple Daily, he gave journalists a platform for free reporting and a voice to the democracy movement in Hong Kong. His commitment reminds us that press freedom is never a given – it must be constantly defended. With the DW Freedom of Speech Award, we honor his indispensable dedication to democratic values,” she said as reported by the media.
Massing stated that by awarding Lai the Freedom of Expression Award, Deutsche Welle expresses its highest respect for his contribution to democratic values. The award ceremony will be held on June 23 at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany, according to a release by the Forum.
According to a report by Deutsche Welle, Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, said in an interview with the media that his father has been held in solitary confinement for more than five years.
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According to Deutsche Welle, Lai’s son Sebastien said, “One of the reasons why they put you in solitary confinement, of which my father has been for more than five years now, is to tell you that nobody cares about you, that you’re going to die alone. And all the support and this award show that that is not the case. People who fight for freedom, people who fight for the freedom of others, are never alone.”
Recognition for Hong Kong people
Christy Chan, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, said that Lai receiving the award makes Hong Kong people feel that their past efforts have been recognized by the world.
Former Apple Daily reporter Li Ka-chung said that under the constraints of the National Security Law, Hong Kong people are afraid to speak openly about Jimmy Lai, and he feels saddened that Hong Kong is now left with only one voice.
The Hong Kong government issued a press release on May 1 strongly condemning “anti-China organizations” and foreign media for misleading the public and “whitewashing” Jimmy Lai.
Jimmy Lai, 78, holds British citizenship. He was born in Guangzhou and smuggled into Hong Kong at the age of 12. He founded Apple Daily in 1995 and has long been involved in promoting Hong Kong’s democratic movement, including participation in the large-scale pro-democracy protests from 2019 to 2020.
Context of Lai’s arrest
After the implementation of the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law” in 2020, Hong Kong authorities arrested Jimmy Lai on charges including “collusion with foreign or external forces endangering national security,” and he has been detained since December 2020. In February 2026, a Hong Kong court sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison for offenses including “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” and “publishing seditious publications.”
Hong Kong’s media environment began to deteriorate sharply after the National Security Law took effect in 2020. Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Without Borders) recently released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, in which Hong Kong ranked 140th and remained in the worst-rated category of “very serious situation.” Its score slightly declined from 39.86 last year to 39.49 this year, mainly due to declines in political, economic, and social indicators.
The report notes that Hong Kong was once considered a stronghold of press freedom, but since the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020, press freedom has suffered a series of unprecedented setbacks. It also states that Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was heavily sentenced under the stringent National Security Law. In February this year, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for charges including “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.”
Other awards for Lai
Public records show that Lai has received multiple press freedom awards from various organizations. In December 2020, Reporters Without Borders awarded him its annual Press Freedom Prize “in support of independent media in Hong Kong, where press freedom has been increasingly restricted under pressure from Beijing.”
In June 2021, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation awarded Lai its highest honor, the “Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom,” recognizing his lifelong pursuit of freedom and democracy. The statement said that Lai and many Hong Kong people showed courage during the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement, reflecting the enduring human desire for freedom.
In the same month, the Committee to Protect Journalists awarded Lai the 2021 “I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence.”
In addition, the National Constitution Center of the United States awarded Lai its 33rd “Liberty Medal,” recognizing his courage and contributions in exercising freedom of speech and peaceful resistance. He became the first Chinese recipient of the award.
By Li Jingyao, Vision Times
