U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly condemned the recent 20-year prison sentence handed to Hong Kong publisher and democracy activist Jimmy Lai, describing the ruling as 'unjust and tragic'. Lai, who is 78 years old, was sentenced by Beijing-aligned courts under the contentious national security law, a law that has been criticized internationally for suppressing democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. Rubio highlighted that this conviction is emblematic of Beijing's efforts to stifle dissent and eliminate voices advocating for fundamental freedoms in the region.

Lai is a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement and founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, a major pro-democracy outlet in Hong Kong until its closure in 2021. His case represents a significant moment in the broader context of the sweeping national security legislation that the Chinese government implemented following substantial anti-government protests. The harsh sentence signals to both supporters and detractors of the pro-democracy movement that the Chinese Communist Party is willing to take extreme measures to maintain control over Hong Kong and crush any dissent.

In response to the sentence, Rubio called for the U.S. government to advocate for Lai's release on humanitarian grounds, urging the Chinese authorities to reconsider his imprisonment. The situation has sparked outrage among human rights advocates and has drawn international attention to the deteriorating state of freedoms in Hong Kong under Chinese rule, raising concerns about the future of civil liberties in the region.