'The plight of Jimmy Lai shames us all:' Jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and British citizen Jimmy Lai now exceeded 1,600 days in solitary confinement, yet has committed no crime

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/35703806

crosspostato da: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/35703805

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[Op-ed by Benedict Rogers, Senior Director of Fortify Rights and a co-founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch.]

Dictatorships use solitary confinement as a form of torture, designed to break the prisoner’s spirit. Under international law, “prolonged solitary confinement” is defined as exceeding 15 days.

British citizen and 77 year-old media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, in jail in Hong Kong, has now exceeded 1,600 days in solitary confinement, yet has committed no crime.

He has already served several prison sentences on multiple trumped-up charges, including 13 months for lighting a candle and saying a prayer at a vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

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