HONG KONG – On December 15, 2025, a Hong Kong court convicted pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai on all charges in a high-profile national security trial, marking a significant milestone in Beijing's crackdown on dissent in the former British colony. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper was found guilty by a panel of three government-selected judges of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. Lai, who has been in detention since December 2020 and spent much of that time in solitary confinement, pleaded not guilty to all charges and now faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The verdict, delivered at the West Kowloon Law Courts after a trial spanning over 156 days and more than two years, was widely anticipated but drew swift international condemnation as a symbol of eroding press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong. Prosecutors accused Lai of using his tabloid newspaper to incite hatred against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, call for foreign sanctions during the 2019 pro-democracy protests, and conspire with external forces to undermine national security. Evidence included 161 Apple Daily articles, personal messages, and testimony from former colleagues who had pleaded guilty in related cases.
In their 855-page judgment, the judges described Lai as harboring long-standing "resentment and hatred" toward the People's Republic of China and intent on seeking the downfall of the Chinese Communist Party, even at the cost of Hong Kong's interests. They highlighted his meetings with foreign officials, including U.S. figures, and his newspaper's editorials advocating sanctions. Lai testified for 52 days in his defense, denying he called for sanctions after the national security law's enactment in June 2020 and insisting his actions were journalistic and advocacy for democracy.
Supporters queued overnight for courtroom seats, including family members and figures like retired Cardinal Joseph Zen. Lai waved goodbye to his family as he was escorted out post-verdict. His son, Sebastien Lai, speaking from London, called the conviction a "perfect example" of the national security law being "weaponized against someone who essentially said stuff that they didn’t like," adding that the judgment contained "essentially nothing" incriminating.
Hong Kong authorities welcomed the outcome. Chief Executive John Lee stated the verdict "demonstrates the justice of the law and upholds Hong Kong’s core values," accusing Lai of using Apple Daily to "incite hatred" and "beg for foreign sanctions." National security police chief Steve Li praised the judges as "professional." China's foreign ministry and its Hong Kong office supported the ruling, labeling Lai a "pawn of external anti-China forces" attempting a "color revolution" and condemning Western interference.
International reactions were sharply critical. Human Rights Watch's Asia director, Elaine Pearson, described the conviction as "cruel and a travesty of justice" after five years of solitary confinement on "bogus charges." Amnesty International's China director, Sarah Brooks, said it marked "the death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong," where journalism has been "rebranded as a crime." The Committee to Protect Journalists called it a "sham conviction" and "disgraceful act of persecution," with Asia-Pacific director Beh Lih Yi stating Lai's "only crime is running a newspaper and defending democracy." Reporters Without Borders expressed outrage, saying the verdict shattered press freedom in the territory.
The case has drawn attention from world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously vowed to secure Lai's release and raised it in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. UK officials, noting Lai's British citizenship, have criticized the trial's fairness. The trial's structure—no jury, judges handpicked by the government—has been cited as departing from Hong Kong's common-law traditions.
Lai's trajectory mirrors Hong Kong's shifting political landscape. Born in mainland China in 1947, he fled to Hong Kong as a child stowaway, built a fortune through clothing brand Giordano, and founded Apple Daily in 1995 as a pro-democracy voice. The paper's aggressive coverage of Beijing and support for 2019 protests made it a target; raids in 2020 led to its closure in 2021. Lai already serves sentences totaling nearly 10 years for protest-related and fraud convictions, which critics deem politically motivated.
A mitigation hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2026, ahead of sentencing. Lai's legal team has indicated a potential appeal post-sentencing. The verdict comes amid broader suppression: most pro-democracy figures jailed or exiled, outlets shuttered, and the last major opposition party disbanding the day prior. Observers see it as testing Hong Kong's autonomy under the "one country, two systems" framework and straining Beijing's ties with the West.
This conviction reinforces concerns over the 2020 National Security Law's broad application, chilling free expression and drawing parallels to mainland China's judicial norms. As Lai's health reportedly declines—with diabetes, hypertension, and other issues—advocates urge immediate release, warning he risks dying in prison.
