Hong Kong Court Hands Jimmy Lai 20-Year Sentence

A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for national security offences, a ruling that has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups who described it as “effectively a death sentence” and a stark sign of the city’s rapidly declining press freedoms.

Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was convicted in December on two counts of foreign collusion under Beijing’s sweeping national security law, as well as one count of seditious publication. The sentence is the most severe imposed under the law, exceeding the previous 10-year term given to legal scholar Benny Tai in 2024. Judges said the 20-year term was determined “after considering the serious and grave criminal conduct of Lai”, noting that two years would overlap with an existing sentence, leaving him to serve an additional 18 years.

Lai, who has been imprisoned since 2020, remained composed as the sentence was read and later waved to family members, religious figures, and former colleagues in the courtroom. While his lawyer declined to say whether an appeal would be filed, Lai’s children condemned the ruling, calling it devastating and “a heartbreakingly cruel sentence” that could mean he will “die a martyr behind bars”.

International rights organisations echoed those concerns. Human Rights Watch said the punishment was both cruel and unjust, while Amnesty International described the case as “another grim milestone in Hong Kong’s transformation from a city governed by the rule of law to one ruled by fear”. Press freedom advocates warned the decision marked “the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong”.

Governments including Britain, the United States, and Taiwan criticised the sentence, saying it creates a chilling effect on free speech beyond Hong Kong’s borders. Beijing, however, dismissed the backlash as an attack on Hong Kong’s judicial system, insisting the case “has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press”. National security police welcomed the ruling, calling it “well-deserved” and reflective of the seriousness of the offences.

Supporters and former Apple Daily staff gathered outside the West Kowloon court amid heavy security, as concerns continue to grow over Lai’s health in prison. Since the national security law was imposed in 2020 following mass pro-democracy protests, Hong Kong authorities have arrested 386 people for related offences, with 176 convictions recorded to date.