Hong Kong Court Hands 20-Year Term to Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai Convicted Under Security Law, Jailed for Conspiracy and Sedition
U.S. Condemns Sentence

Hong Kong/Washington/Beijing: The Hong Kong High Court today sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison under the city’s national security law, concluding one of the most high-profile and longest-running legal cases since the law was introduced in 2020.

The sentence, the harshest imposed under the law to date, follows Lai’s more than five years in detention and nearly three years of trial proceedings. The court described Lai as the “principal mastermind” behind activities it deemed to endanger Hong Kong’s security, citing his coordination of foreign contacts and use of media outlets to pursue objectives inconsistent with the law. The aggregate sentence reflects convictions for two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

The trial was conducted by a three-judge panel comprising Esther Toh Lye-ping, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios, and Alex Lee Wan-tang, all appointed to hear cases under the national security law. The judgment, running hundreds of pages, detailed the court’s legal reasoning, evaluated extensive evidence, and assessed Lai’s role in the alleged conspiracies.

Lai, 78, was convicted in December 2025. The prosecution presented extensive evidence, including communications with foreign political figures and directives issued to staff at Apple Daily, his former newspaper. Over 2,220 exhibits were formally examined during the trial, alongside multiple witness testimonies, forming the basis of the convictions.

In sentencing, the court explained that the two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces carried base terms of 15 years each, reflecting the severe view of this offence under the national security law, while the count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials carried a base term of 21 months. After applying aggregate sentencing principles and considering prior convictions, the total sentence was set at 20 years, with two years overlapping with a previous fraud conviction imposed in December 2022, meaning Lai faces approximately 18 additional years in custody. The court acknowledged his age and health, including diabetes and hypertension, but determined that the severity of his conduct outweighed these mitigating factors.

International reaction was swift. In Washington, the United States Secretary of State condemned the sentence as “unjust and tragic,” emphasising that it demonstrates Beijing’s willingness to suppress advocates of fundamental freedoms. The U.S. urged Hong Kong authorities to grant humanitarian parole, given Lai’s age and health and noted that the verdict raises broader concerns about press freedom and the international commitments under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian defended the ruling, describing Lai as the “principal mastermind” behind unrest in Hong Kong, actions that violated the principles of One Country, Two Systems, endangered national security, and harmed stability and prosperity. Lin stated that Hong Kong judicial authorities acted within their legal mandate, and called on foreign governments to respect China’s sovereignty and refrain from interfering in Hong Kong’s internal legal affairs. He emphasised that proper enforcement of the national security law enhances long-term security and supports the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents.

The court’s judgment highlighted Lai’s use of Apple Daily and his international contacts to influence foreign governments and public opinion. It described his conduct as persistent, organised, and directed toward objectives that the court concluded threatened the city’s stability. Lai consistently denied the charges, maintaining that his actions were political expression and journalistic activity rather than criminal conspiracies. His defence argued that many of the activities cited pre-dated the national security law.

Supporters and international rights organisations characterised the sentence as disproportionate, warning that it could amount to a life sentence given Lai’s age and health concerns. The case is widely viewed as a defining moment for press freedom and civil liberties in Hong Kong, where Apple Daily was forced to shut down in 2021 after asset freezes and police actions against its staff.

Eight other defendants, including former Apple Daily executives, received prison terms ranging from six years and three months to ten years, while three companies associated with Lai were fined for their roles in the alleged conspiracies and seditious publication.

The ruling has intensified international scrutiny of Hong Kong’s legal environment and its implications for civil liberties and press freedom, prompting statements from governments, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, expressing concern about the national security law’s impact on judicial independence and dissent.

Lai’s legal team retains the right to appeal the sentence within the stipulated timeframe, a process that could extend proceedings and maintain global attention on the case. The judgment reinforces the judiciary’s central role in adjudicating national security cases under the law and sets a precedent for how similar cases may be handled in Hong Kong.

– global bihari bureau