Lai’s arrest and the searching of Next Digital has drawn criticism from pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong as well as major western nations, including the U.K. The British Government has openly condemned the action saying that authorities are using the law to crush any form of dissent.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a tweet on the arrest saying that he was “deeply disturbed” by Lai’s arrest, claiming it as proof that China has “eviscerated Hong Kong’s freedoms and eroded the rights of its people.”
I’m deeply troubled by reports of the arrest of @JimmyLaiApple under Hong Kong’s draconian National Security Law. Further proof that the CCP has eviscerated Hong Kong’s freedoms and eroded the rights of its people.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 10, 2020
On the same day as Lai’s arrest, China issued 11 sanctions against specific individuals in the U.S., including Congress members as retaliation for U.S. sanctions of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials.
According to Mark Simon, an aide to Lai and Next Digital executive, the tycoon has been charged for colluding with foreign powers. Over 200 police officers raided Next Digital headquarters, leaving with 25 boxes of ‘evidence’ for processing. It remains unclear as to what authorities were looking for in the raid.
