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HONG KONG’S most prominent China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years’ imprisonment, concluding the city’s largest and most consequential national security trial and prompting fresh international scrutiny of Beijing’s tightening grip on the territory.
Lai was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials, bringing to an end a legal saga that has lasted nearly five years. The sentence represents the harshest punishment imposed so far under Hong Kong’s national security laws.
Reuters reported on Monday that the three judges presiding over the case said the sentence fell within the highest penalty band for offences of a “grave nature”.
They ruled that Lai’s punishment was aggravated by his central role in the alleged crimes.
“Lai was no doubt the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged and therefore he warrants a heavier sentence,” the judges said. “As regards the others, it is difficult to distinguish their relative culpability.”
The court said Lai had been the driving force behind “persistent” conspiracies involving foreign collusion, citing prosecution evidence that alleged efforts to solicit sanctions, blockades and other hostile actions from the United States and other countries. The judges said the activities involved a network of individuals, including Apple Daily staff, activists and foreign contacts.
Lai, the founder of the outspoken and now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was first arrested in August 2020 and convicted last year. The 78-year-old British citizen has denied all charges, telling the court he was a “political prisoner” subjected to persecution by Beijing.
Six former senior Apple Daily executives, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced on Monday, receiving jail terms of between six and 10 years.
Hong Kong’s government and Beijing swiftly welcomed the ruling. China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the sentence “is a solemn and powerful declaration that whoever dares to challenge the law on safeguarding national security will be severely punished”.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said the verdict upheld the rule of law and reflected public sentiment, adding that “Jimmy Lai’s crimes are heinous and utterly unforgivable”.
The case has drawn sustained international criticism, including from U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and has become a focal point of concern over Hong Kong’s freedoms following the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019.
Lai’s long-standing profile as a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party and his international political ties featured prominently during the trial. Prosecutors cited his connections with senior U.S. officials, including meetings in Washington in July 2019 with then vice president Mike Pence and then secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, saying it was necessary to restore stability after months of unrest, a claim officials continue to maintain.
Concerns have also been raised over Lai’s health. Friends and supporters say he is frail, suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, and should be released on humanitarian grounds.
Lai’s son, Sebastien, said the sentence “is devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father” and described it as the “total destruction” of Hong Kong’s legal system.
“After more than five years of relentlessly persecuting my father, it is time for China to do the right thing and release him before it is too late,” he said, speaking from outside Hong Kong.
Hong Kong police dismissed such concerns. Steve Li, head of the force’s national security department, said worries over Lai’s health had been “exaggerated” and added that the tycoon deserved his sentence.
The judges said they were not inclined to grant substantial reductions for Lai’s age, medical condition or time spent in solitary confinement, though they acknowledged he would endure a “more burdensome” sentence than other inmates.
They reduced his punishment slightly, cutting one month from the sedition charge and one year from each collusion count.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the ruling, saying a “sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust”.
Dozens of Lai’s supporters queued for days to gain access to the courtroom, as authorities deployed heavy security, including sniffer dogs, armoured vehicles and a bomb disposal unit.
“I feel that Mr. Lai is the conscience of Hong Kong,” said Sum, 64, one of those waiting outside.
Starmer raised Lai’s case during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month in Beijing, according to people briefed on the talks, and called for his release.
Trump also discussed Lai’s detention with Xi during a meeting in October.
Several Western diplomats told Reuters that efforts to negotiate Lai’s release are likely to intensify now that sentencing has concluded.
Lai’s lawyer, Robert Pang, said he could not comment on whether an appeal would be filed, noting that Lai has 28 days to decide. - February 9, 2026