Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison | Freedom of the Press News
Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years Under National Security Law
HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for charges of foreign collusion and seditious publication. The ruling, delivered by three High Court judges on Monday, follows Lai’s conviction in December under a national security law imposed by Beijing.
Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, is 78 years old and has been incarcerated for more than five years while awaiting trial. He was found guilty of two counts of foreign collusion and one count of seditious publication.
Prior to the sentencing, Western governments and human rights organizations called for Lai’s release, with some labeling the proceedings as “nothing but a charade.” Lai’s family and supporters have expressed grave concerns for his health, reporting issues including heart palpitations and high blood pressure, warning that he could die in prison.
In addition to Lai, six former senior staff members from Apple Daily, an activist, and a paralegal were also set to be sentenced on the same day.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned that he raised Lai’s case during a recent meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, describing the conversation as “respectful.” Lai holds British citizenship, and calls for his release have also come from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Committee to Protect Journalists criticized Lai’s trial, asserting it demonstrated a “total contempt for Hong Kong laws” meant to protect press freedom. Reporters Without Borders noted that the sentencing would signal the alarming future of press freedom in Hong Kong.
Beijing has dismissed criticisms of the case as attempts to undermine its judicial system, with Hong Kong authorities stating that Lai’s prosecution “has nothing to do with freedom of speech and the press.”
In anticipation of the sentencing, police deployed numerous officers and an armored vehicle outside the West Kowloon court, where a gathering of journalists and supporters occurred. Reports indicated that police detained a woman carrying an Apple Daily keychain. Activists, including Tsang Kin-shing of the now-defunct League of Social Democrats, expressed concerns for Lai’s wellbeing due to his age.
The latest developments occur amid increasing restrictions on press freedoms in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Journalists Association reported in 2024 an atmosphere of “systematic and organised” harassment and intimidation for journalists, while Reporters Without Borders indicated at least 900 journalists lost their jobs following the enactment of the national security law in 2020.
