Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in a major national security case that has sparked widespread international concern.
Landmark conviction under security law
The 78-year-old Lai was found guilty in late 2025 of using his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper to publish seditious materials and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.
He was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials.
The charges relate to content produced between April 2019 and June 2021, as well as alleged foreign collusion from July 2020 to June 2021.
Lai, a fierce critic of China’s tightening grip on Hong Kong under President Xi Jinping, has consistently denied all charges.
His Apple Daily was long known for its bold criticism of both the Hong Kong and Chinese governments before it was forced to close.
Heavy security and family anguish
Dozens of Lai’s supporters queued for days to attend the hearing, while a large police presence – including sniffer dogs, armoured vehicles and a bomb disposal unit – surrounded the court area.
Lai has already spent more than five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement.
His son Sebastien Lai called the sentencing a dark day for justice and renewed calls for his father’s release.
His daughter Claire Lai said she was heartbroken, noting her father’s health has worsened sharply in detention.
“If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars,” she said.
Strong international backlash
Supporters, including the United States and the United Kingdom – where Lai holds citizenship – have described the case as politically driven, aimed at silencing a leading pro-democracy voice.
The verdict follows the 2019 mass protests that prompted Beijing to impose a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong.
Human Rights Watch Asia director Elaine Pearson labelled the 20-year term cruel and profoundly unjust.
She said it showed Beijing’s resolve to crush independent journalism and mute critics of the Communist Party.
Hong Kong-Australian lawyer and pro-democracy advocate Kevin Yam said the punishment was harsher than sentences given to prominent mainland dissidents.
“Chinese dissidents like Liu Xiaobo and Xu Zhiyong received 11 and 14 years, yet Jimmy Lai got 20. It is effectively a life sentence,” he said.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council condemned the ruling as harsh, saying it violated freedom of speech, press freedom and the right to hold authorities accountable.
US President Donald Trump expressed deep concern, saying he felt badly about the outcome and had raised Lai’s case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, asking for his release to be considered.
About The Author
