Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for collusion with foreign forces and sedition, a ruling that is likely to be seen as a further crackdown on dissent in the city. The 78-year-aged, a prominent pro-democracy advocate, faced a potential life sentence.
The lengthy sentence was determined after reviewing Lai’s “serious criminal conduct,” according to a document released by the Hong Kong court following a brief hearing. “After examining the criminal conduct of Lai… the court considered that the total sentence imposed on Lai in this case should be 20 years’ imprisonment,” the document stated.
Lai, who was present in the defendant’s box, remained impassive as the judgment was read. As he was led away, he offered a wave to those in the public gallery, including his wife Teresa and former journalists from Apple Daily, the pro-democracy newspaper he founded, which has since been shut down.
Accusations of Attempting to Overthrow the Chinese Communist Party
He was found guilty on December 15 of three charges following a trial that human rights advocates say marked the end of the press freedom Hong Kong once enjoyed. The sentence includes two years from a previous fraud conviction, meaning he will effectively serve an additional 18 years.
Lai has been imprisoned since 2020 and has been held in isolation, reportedly at his own request, though his family has expressed concerns about his deteriorating health. The case has drawn international criticism, highlighting concerns about the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong following the imposition of a national security law by Beijing.
The prosecution was based on the national security law imposed by China after pro-democracy protests, sometimes violent, shook Hong Kong in 2019. Collusion with foreign forces carried a potential life sentence, while seditious publication was punishable by up to two years in prison.
In their 856-page judgment delivered on December 15, the judges wrote that the former media baron had “nurtured his resentment and hatred towards [China] for a large part of his adult life” and had sought to “overthrow the Chinese Communist Party.” The prosecution also presented Lai as the mastermind of plots involving hostile acts by foreign countries against Hong Kong or China, and the imposition of sanctions or a blockade. Lai had pleaded not guilty.
Beijing Dismisses International Pressure
Lai holds a British passport. The United Kingdom has denounced the trial as “politically motivated.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he raised the case during his visit to China in late January, during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump also called for his Chinese counterpart to release Jimmy Lai.
Human rights organizations have expressed outrage. “The prison sentence handed down to Jimmy Lai is a brazen attack on freedom of expression that perfectly illustrates the systematic dismantling of rights that once characterized Hong Kong,” Amnesty International said in a statement. “The hefty 20-year prison sentence imposed on 78-year-old Jimmy Lai amounts to a de facto death sentence,” Human Rights Watch stated. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ, New York) said Lai’s trial “was a sham from start to finish.”
Hong Kong authorities maintain that Lai’s case “has nothing to do with freedom of expression or of the press.” Beijing said it firmly supports Hong Kong in “safeguarding national security in accordance with the law and cracking down on criminal acts that endanger national security.”
