BONN — Jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle's Freedom of Speech Award for his contribution to Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. He will be presented in absentia with the 12th edition of the prize on June 23 at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn.

"His commitment reminds us that press freedom is never a given – it must be constantly defended. With the DW freedom of speech award, we honour his indispensable dedication to democratic values." Deutsche Welle Director General Barbara Massing said in announcing the award.

Lai, a British citizen, was an active pro-democracy advocate in Hong Kong before his imprisonment. He provided financial backing to democratic parties and politicians and took part in mass protests against Beijing's rule in 2019 and 2020.

Hong Kong authorities arrested Lai in 2020, accusing him of using Apple Daily and his political connections to lobby for foreign governments to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong. In February, a Hong Kong court sentenced him to 20 years in prison on charges including "conspiracy to collaborate with foreign forces" and publishing "seditious material."

He was convicted under Hong Kong's national security law, which was imposed by the Chinese Communist Party in 2020. The Chinese government said the imposition of the law was necessary to restore stability to Hong Kong. Human Rights Watch warned that the length of the sentence amounted to effectively a death sentence.

Lai was born in southern China in 1947 and fled to Hong Kong in 1960. He has said he owed everything to the people of Hong Kong and that a prison term would be redemption for the life the territory had given him.