Hong Kong – Prominent media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, marking the conclusion of one of the most high-profile legal proceedings under Beijing’s sweeping national security crackdown in the former British colony.
The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and staunch critic of the Chinese Communist Party received the lengthy term following his conviction on multiple charges under the National Security Law (NSL) imposed by Beijing in June 2020. The sentence is the longest handed down to date under the controversial legislation, which criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.
Lai, who has been detained since December 2020, faced a total of 14 charges across two major trials. These included conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security (related to his calls for international sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials), conspiracy to publish seditious material, and fraud charges tied to alleged breaches of tenancy agreements at the Apple Daily headquarters.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Andrew Chan of the Hong Kong High Court described Lai’s actions as having “gravely jeopardized national security” and causing “serious harm to the rule of law and social stability.” The court rejected defense arguments that Lai’s activities constituted protected free speech, ruling that his editorials, funding of protests, and outreach to foreign politicians crossed the threshold into criminal collusion.
The sentencing brings to a close a years-long legal saga that has become an international symbol of Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong. Once celebrated for its vibrant civil society, independent media, and relative political freedoms, the city has undergone dramatic changes since the 2019 pro-democracy protests and the subsequent imposition of the NSL. More than 300 people have been arrested under the law, and several prominent opposition figures have been jailed or forced into exile.
Apple Daily, the outspoken tabloid Lai founded in 1995, was forced to shut down in June 2021 after police froze its assets, raided its offices, and arrested senior executives. The newspaper’s final print run sold out within hours as Hongkongers queued to buy souvenir copies in a show of defiance.
Lai’s case drew widespread international condemnation. The United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and numerous human rights organizations denounced the verdict and sentence as politically motivated and a clear violation of press freedom and due process. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the outcome “a travesty of justice,” while the British government—citing its obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration—labeled it “a further serious erosion of Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms.”
In a statement released through his legal team before sentencing, Lai maintained his innocence and declared that he had “no regrets” about his activism. “If I have to go to jail for speaking the truth and standing up for justice, then so be it,” he reportedly told supporters.
The 20-year term effectively means Lai, who turned 78 in December 2025, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars unless the conviction is overturned on appeal or a future political shift leads to clemency—an outcome considered highly unlikely under current circumstances.
Analysts say the sentence serves as both a final warning to remaining critics inside Hong Kong and a message to the international community that Beijing is prepared to impose severe penalties on even its most prominent opponents. With Lai’s imprisonment, the once-thriving ecosystem of independent media, civil society organizations, and opposition politics in Hong Kong has been almost entirely dismantled.
Supporters and family members gathered outside the court complex in Admiralty on Monday, holding signs reading “Free Jimmy Lai” and “Stand with Hong Kong.” Police maintained a heavy presence, and several demonstrators were briefly detained for questioning.
Lai’s eldest son, Sebastien Lai, who now leads the international campaign for his father’s release, issued a statement saying: “Today is a dark day not only for my family but for anyone who believes in freedom of expression, the rule of law, and basic human dignity. My father’s sentence is intended to silence dissent, but it will not erase the truth he has spent his life defending.”
The Jimmy Lai case has become a global cause célèbre, with advocacy groups continuing to press for diplomatic interventions, sanctions, and sustained attention on Hong Kong’s deteriorating human rights situation.
As the city marks more than five years under the National Security Law, Monday’s sentencing underscores the profound transformation that has taken place—and the high personal cost paid by those who have sought to resist it.
