Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a closely watched national security trial that has drawn international criticism, including from the US and Britain.
The 78-year-old Briton was found guilty in December of two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under a China-imposed national security law, as well as a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
Lai, a pro-democracy campaigner and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, has always denied all wrongdoing.
His family has raised renewed concerns over the diabetic man’s deteriorating health condition and alleged mistreatment in solitary confinement at a Hong Kong jail where he has been kept in solitary confinement for years.
Among the allegations, Lai was found guilty of using Apple Daily as a platform to conspire with six former executives and others to produce seditious publications between April 2019 and June 2021, as well as to collude with foreign forces, including the US, between July 2020 and June 2021.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said he had a "respectful discussion" regarding Lai with Chinese president Xi Jinping during a recent trip to Beijing, though he declined to provide details.
Key Points
- 'Effectively a death sentence' for Lai, Human Rights Watch says
- Judges say Lai's Lai’s foreign collusion conspiracies were of 'grave nature'
- Court declines to reduce sentence over Lai’s health concerns
- Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison
- Heavy police presence outside court as Jimmy Lai sentencing begins
- Starmer under fire for not securing release of Jimmy Lai during China trip
- Xi Jinping gives ‘strong support’ for Jimmy Lai conviction
Jimmy Lai's sentence is 'not justice, it is punishment for dissent'
05:35 , Shweta SharmaA statement released by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) said Jimmy Lai's case has come to symbolise the dismantling of Hong Kong’s freedoms.
The statement, signed by 86 politicians, including US Senator Jeff Merkley and Lord Alton of Liverpool, said:
“This moment did not arise in isolation. It has been made possible by the sustained failure of the international community to enforce the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a binding international treaty registered at the United Nations. As Beijing dismantled Hong Kong’s autonomy, free press and rule of law, governments spoke out, but failed to act.
“The imposition of a 20-year sentence on a 78-year-old publisher for peaceful political expression is not justice. It is punishment for dissent, enabled by impunity.
“IPAC calls on democratic governments to respond accordingly through coordinated diplomatic pressure, and accountability.
“Jimmy Lai’s persecution serves as irrefutable proof that Hong Kong’s legal system answers to Beijing, and must not be afforded any status to distinguish it from China."
Jimmy Lai is the 'conscience of Hong Kong', his supporter says
05:08 , Shweta SharmaA supporter of Jimmy Lai queued outside the court for days and slept there overnight in order to keep his place in the queue, finally securing a seat in the courtroom.
"I feel that Lai is the conscience of Hong Kong," said the man named Sum, 64, on the day of sentencing.
“He speaks up for the people of Hong Kong, and also for many wrongful cases in mainland China and for the development of democracy. Spending a few days of my own freedom sleeping out here feels better than seeing him locked up inside.”
Hong Kong police say they are examining whether authorities want to appeal for longer sentence for Lai
04:50 , Shweta SharmaSteve Li, the head of Hong Kong police's National Security Department, welcomed the media tycoon Jimmy Lai's 20-year sentence on three national security charges, saying it was "appropriate".
He said the claims about his frail health are "exaggerated".
He added that the police would be in contact with the Department of Justice to consider whether the authorities wanted to seek longer sentences through appeals.
He added Li that “we are still investigating some matters”, but he does not have the liberty to disclose what those investigations were.
Lai would be 96 by the time he completes his sentence
04:37 , Shweta SharmaJimmy Lai, 78, would be 96 years old by the time he completes his 20-year prison term in 2044.
In Hong Kong, prisoners are provided one-third remission of their jail term on the grounds of good behaviour.
Even then, Lai would be around 90 if he were to be released in 2037.
He is set to serve another 18 years from today because of time already served during his lengthy trial.
Recap: Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison
04:27 , Shweta SharmaJimmy Lai, the pro-democracy media mogul who spent decades as a defiant critic of Beijing, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
It marks the harshest sentence he could have possibly received in the national security trial that was closely watched around the world.
The landmark ruling caps a three-year campaign by Beijing to neutralise a figure it has accused of orchestrating Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
Lai smiled and waved towards the public gallery after his sentence was handed down, while his wife, Teresa Lai, sat with her arms folded, her expression impassive.
Weeping could be heard from the back of the gallery as the courtroom absorbed the ruling.
The judge said the sentencing was for “Lai’s serious and grave criminal conduct”.
”..we are satisfied that the total sentence for Lai in the present case should be 20 years’ imprisonment," the court documents said.
Although Lai was convicted on three separate counts carrying a combined potential sentence of more than 35 years, the court ruled that some of the terms would be served concurrently, resulting in a total prison sentence of 20 years, according to the judgment.
Jimmy Lai's sentencing day in pictures
04:07 , Shweta SharmaWe have more images from outside the court showing supporters, family members and members of the media gathered there.
Jimmy Lai’s wife, Teresa Lai, was visibly in tears as she left the building, surrounded by onlookers and journalists.
Hong Kong national security police addresses media
03:55 , Shweta SharmaHong Kong national security police chief Steve Li says Jimmy Lai's case demonstrates the city’s rule of law.
Li said the case against media tycoon Lai showcased the city’s rule of law and the functioning of its judicial system.
Jimmy Lai's family say he will 'die a martyr behind bars'
03:50 , Shweta SharmaJimmy Lai’s son, who has long campaigned for his father’s release, has reacted to his sentencing this morning to 20 years in prison.
"Today is a dark day for anyone who believes in truth, freedom and justice," Sebastien Lai said in a statement.
"It signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice."
Jimmy Lai's daughter Claire Lai called the sentence "heartbreakingly cruel".
"He will die a martyr behind bars," she said.
Sending Lai into exile would be in everyone’s interest, author says
03:35 , Shweta SharmaMark Clifford, the author of The Troublemaker, a book about Jimmy Lai, said the media tycoon’s two-year trial was “just for show” and described the 20-year sentence as exceptionally severe.
“It seems clear they want him to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Clifford, who is also the president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, said.
He added that Lai would do so unless there was a political solution allowing him to leave Hong Kong.
“Twenty years for a 78-year-old man is effectively a life sentence – or a death sentence.
”He added: “China needs to understand that Lai is more trouble in prison than outside it."
“His continued imprisonment makes a thawing of relations between the United States and China difficult. Sending him into exile would be in everyone’s interest.”
What is Hong Kong's far-reaching national security law?
03:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneJimmy Lai has been convicted under Hong Kong’s broad national security law.
The law, known as Article 23, is said to crimes including treason, sedition, theft of state secrets, espionage, and "external interference" including from foreign governments.
But activists and lawmakers have said the new law criminalises basic human rights such as freedom of expression.
"Many of these proposed provisions are vague and criminalise people’s peaceful exercises of human rights, including the rights to freedom of association, assembly, expression and the press," a group of 80 civil society groups, including British-based Hong Kong Watch, wrote in a joint letter in February 2024.
Former Apple Daily reporter says sentence means an 'avalanche' on Hong Kong's press freedom
03:23 , Shweta SharmaA former Apple Daily reporter, surnamed Wong, warned that the sentencing could further accelerate the decline of Hong Kong’s media industry.
“Now that ‘red lines’ have formally become part of the judgments and sentences, the news industry – already severely weakened – will shrink even further,” Wong said.
“If the sentences are used to set the boundaries at the maximum level, it won’t just add insult to injury for press freedom; it will be an avalanche.”
Taiwan condemns ‘harsh’ sentence for Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai
03:16 , Shweta SharmaTaiwan’s government on Monday condemned the “harsh” sentence handed down to Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and called for his release.
In a statement, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said Lai’s sentence under Hong Kong’s national security law not only deprived him of his personal liberty, but also trampled on freedom of speech and press freedom.
The council added that the ruling denied people their basic right to hold those in power to account.
Police chief to address media shortly
03:14 , Shweta SharmaPolice Chief Superintendent Steve Li is expected to address the media outside the court shortly.
Jimmy Lai's friend says 'they have killed Hong Kong'
03:12 , Shweta SharmaFather Robert Alan Sirico, Jimmy Lai’s longtime friend, has condemned the sentence as “cynical,” saying the court had effectively handed Lai a life sentence without stating so explicitly.
“This was expected, of course,” Sirico, who is the co-founder and President Emeritus of the Acton Institute, told The Independent.
“This court has shown its bias against Jimmy from the outset in not permitting him to have lawyers of his choice,” he said.
He also pointed to the authorities’ decision to raid and shut down Lai’s businesses and freeze his assets before the trial, saying no serious observer had expected a different outcome.
Sirico said he had spent time with Lai’s daughter last week, describing the family as “remarkably faith-filled” and saying their faith had deepened through the ordeal.
“The Communists may think they have sentenced a capitalist, a free speech advocate and a Christian,” he said. “But in reality, they have killed Hong Kong.”
Court declines to reduce sentence over Lai’s health concerns
02:58 , Shweta SharmaThe court said it was “not inclined” to impose a lighter sentence on Jimmy Lai on medical grounds, noting that health considerations rarely justify leniency in serious cases.
"We note that the general rule is that medical grounds will seldom, if ever, be a basis for reducing the sentence for crimes of gravity," it said in the ruling.
Lai’s barrister had told the court that he suffers from hypertension, diabetes and other health conditions.
'Effectively a death sentence' for Lai, Human Rights Watch says
02:52 , Shweta SharmaHuman Rights Watch condemned the 20-year prison sentence handed to Jimmy Lai, describing it as “effectively a death sentence.”
Lai will be 98 by the time he has served the full sentence handed down on Monday morning.
Elaine Pearson, the organisation’s Asia director, said the punishment was “both cruel and profoundly unjust.”
“The harsh 20-year sentence against 78-year-old Jimmy Lai is effectively a death sentence. A sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust. Lai’s years of persecution show the Chinese government’s determination to crush independent journalism and silence anyone who dares to criticize the Communist Party.”
Picture shows Lai's wife leaving the court
02:47 , Shweta SharmaPictures have now emerged of Teresa Lai, the wife of convicted pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the retired Catholic bishop, leaving the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday following Lai’s sentencing.
She appeared emotional and was holding back tears as she left.
The hearing lasted just 30 minutes on Monday morning.
Reporters Without Borders: 'Today the curtain falls on press freedom in Hong Kong'
02:39 , Shweta SharmaReporters Without Borders has condemned Jimmy Lai’s sentencing, saying the decision underscores the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong and the authorities’ profound contempt for independent journalism.
“From Lai’s arrest to his trial and conviction, this legal process has been nothing more than a sham. Democracies, such as the UK and the US, must stop prioritising the normalisation of relations with China and instead exert pressure on the Chinese regime and Hong Kong authorities to ensure that Jimmy Lai and all other journalists are released from prison,” Thibaut Bruttin, the nonprofit organization’s head, said.
Referring to Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and political prisoner who died in custody in 2017 after being detained in 2009 on charges of “inciting subversion of state power,” Bruttin said the outcome reflected a lack of sufficient international pressure.
“We cannot allow Jimmy Lai to suffer a similar fate. His sentence must not become a death sentence.”
Jimmy Lai’s lawyer declines to comment on possible appeal
02:34 , Shweta SharmaJimmy Lai’s defence lawyer declined to say whether an appeal would be filed, responding “no comment” when asked by reporters outside the court following the sentencing.
Judges say Lai's offences were of 'grave nature'
02:33 , Shweta SharmaThe Hong Kong court on Monday said Jimmy Lai’s offences were of a “grave nature” and the conspiracies were of the “most serious” category.
The judge said the sentencing was enhanced bythe fact that he was the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.
The court said the foreign collusion conspiracies were “well planned” and “premeditated”.
Six other defendants handed lower sentences
02:28 , Shweta SharmaSix former Apple Daily executives were also sentenced by the court.
Publisher Cheung Kim-hung was given six years and nine months in prison, while associate publisher Chan Pui-man received a seven-year term.
Editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee was sentenced to seven years and three months.
Editor-in-chief Lai Wai-kwong, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung and editorial writer Fung Wai-kong were each handed 10-year jail terms.
Lai's wife leaves court
02:21 , Shweta SharmaJimmy Lai’s wife was seen leaving the court shortly afterwards, wearing dark sunglasses and appearing to struggle to hold back tears as she made her way out of the building.
Jimmy Lai receives longest national security sentence in Hong Kong history
02:18 , Shweta SharmaThe sentence marks the harshest punishment imposed under Hong Kong’s national security law to date. Until now, the longest term handed down was 10 years’ imprisonment, imposed on legal scholar and opposition strategist Benny Tai in 2024.
In mainland China, the prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in 2009 for inciting subversion.
Comment: My message to Keir Starmer: Free my father Jimmy Lai before it is too late
02:15 , Nicole Wootton-Cane My message to Keir Starmer: Free my father Jimmy Lai before it is too late
Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison
02:12 , Shweta SharmaHong Kong’s High Court on Monday sentenced jailed media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai to a total of 20 years in prison.
The proceedings are ongoing.
But the sentencing brings a close to one of the most closely watched national security cases since the law was imposed in 2020.
Jimmy Lai smiles as sentencing proceedings begin
02:10 , Shweta SharmaCourt proceedings have begun, with Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants entering the dock.
Lai, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a white jacket, smiled and clasped his hands as he greeted those seated in the public gallery.
Presiding judge Esther Toh said the court’s sentencing reasons run to 47 pages.
She added that the document would not be read out in full in court, but would be made available to lawyers and the press and uploaded online within half an hour of the conclusion of the proceedings.
Jimmy Lai now enters the court
02:04 , Shweta SharmaHong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai entered the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday for sentencing in his national security case, as a heavy police presence remained in place around the court complex.
Lai has spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement since he was arrested in August 2020.
Editorial: Powers that believe in democracy should rally to the cause of Jimmy Lai
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Powers that believe in democracy should rally to the cause of Jimmy Lai
Cardinal Zen and Jimmy Lai’s wife arrive for sentencing
01:57 , Shweta SharmaCardinal Zen and Jimmy Lai’s wife arrive for sentencingThe former Catholic bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, and Teresa Lai, the wife of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, have arrived at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts this morning for Lai’s sentencing.
Teresa Lai, who has attended almost every hearing since the case began in 2023, was dressed in red as she entered the court building.
Kevin Steel, defence lawyer for Lai, was also seen arriving, as were consular representatives from a number of different countries, including the UK and Austria.
Heavy police presence outside court as Jimmy Lai sentencing begins
01:45 , Shweta SharmaA heavy police presence is in place outside Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Law Courts Building, where media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai is due to be sentenced today.
Dozens of Lai’s supporters queued for several days to secure a seat in the courtroom, as scores of police officers, sniffer dogs and police vehicles – including an armoured truck and a bomb disposal van – were deployed around the area.
“I feel that Mr Lai is the conscience of Hong Kong,” said Sum, 64, who began queueing last Thursday.
Court-goers at the scene told HKFP that police officers detained a woman and escorted her onto a police vehicle after discovering an Apple Daily keychain in her possession.
Police officers have also been recording the identity card details of those queueing for public seats at Monday’s hearing, according to people waiting outside the court. Members of the public were initially allowed to briefly leave the queue to use the toilet or attend to personal needs.
But they were not permitted to return to their original places in the line, raising concerns among court-goers about access to the hearing.
Exclusive: ‘It’s a travesty’: Calls to free frail Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai from jail before it’s too late
01:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneOn the eve of his father’s sentencing, Mr Lai’s son Sebastien Lai spoke toThe Independent exclusively.
“We are under no illusions: this is not justice, it is political persecution,” he told Whitehall editor Kate Devlin.
“My father has been persecuted by the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities for speaking truth to power.
“In December, he was convicted of crimes that amount to nothing more than public interest journalism and peaceful pro-democracy campaigning. On Monday, he is likely to be sentenced to prison for the rest of his life.”
You can read more below:
Calls to free frail Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai from jail before it’s too late
Who is Jimmy Lai?
00:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneJimmy Lai is a Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon who was recently convicted of foreign collusion under the country’s sweeping national security law.
Born in China, he entered Hong Kong as a stowaway on a boat aged 12.
He went on to found Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital, a Hong Kong-listed media company, and the popular newspaper Apple Daily.
He became an outspoken critic of the People's Republic of China government following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, with his publications banned in China.
On 10 August 2020, Lai was arrested at his home for alleged collusion with foreign forces (a crime under the new national security law) and fraud. He was convicted in December and is set to be sentenced on Monday.
Lai's trial seen as indicator of diminishing press freedom in Hong Kong
Sunday 8 February 2026 23:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarJimmy Lai’s trial has been widely interpreted as a stark indicator of the diminishing press freedom in the former British colony, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.
However, the city’s government maintains that the case bears no relation to media freedom.
The impending sentencing is expected to heighten tensions between Beijing and international governments. Lai’s conviction already prompted criticism from the United States and Britain.
In January, Hong Kong's Chief Justice Andrew Cheung addressed the issue, stating that calls for prematurely releasing a defendant based on political causes or identity circumvent legal procedures to ensure accountability and "strike at the very heart of the rule of law itself."
Lai was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles.
Eight co-defendants to be sentenced alongside Lai
Sunday 8 February 2026 22:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarEight co-defendants will be sentenced alongside Lai on Monday after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring to collude with foreign forces.
They include six former Apple Daily executives — publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, and editorial writers Fung Wai-kong and Yeung Ching-kee.
Cheung, Chan and Yeung had earlier testified against their former boss in return for reduced sentences.
The remaining two are former activists Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, linked to the international lobby group Stand with Hong Kong, who also testified for the prosecution in exchange for lighter sentences.
Jimmy Lai to be sentenced at 10am on Monday
Sunday 8 February 2026 21:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be sentenced on Monday at 10am local timein a closely watched national security trial that has drawn international criticism, including from the US and Britain.
The 78-year-old Briton was found guilty in December of two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under a China-imposed national security law, as well as a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
Jai, a pro-democracy campaigner and founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, has denied all wrongdoing but faces life in prison.
Xi Jinping gives ‘strong support’ for Jimmy Lai conviction
Sunday 8 February 2026 20:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarChinese president Xi Jinping has expressed strong support for the jailing of British media tycoon Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, amid mounting international condemnation.
Xi’s first reaction to Monday’s verdict comes just weeks before Sir Keir Starmer is due to travel to Beijing for an important trade visit.
Lai’s trial was closely watched abroad and his conviction has been met with intense criticism by Western governments and rights groups who called it “politically motivated” and “a disgraceful act of persecution”.
‘Free Jimmy Lai’ message projected onto London landmarks as Keir Starmer visits China
Sunday 8 February 2026 19:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA message calling for the release of Jimmy Lai has been projected onto the side of the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge.
78-year-old Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and British national, has been in detention for more than five years having been arrested in 2020 under Hong Kong’s new national security law.
‘Free Jimmy Lai’ message projected onto London landmarks as Starmer visits China
Starmer under fire for not securing release of Jimmy Lai during China trip
Sunday 8 February 2026 18:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSir Keir Starmer has been accused of failing to secure an assurance that British citizen Jimmy Lai would be released, despite going to China “with the title deeds to a mega-embassy in the back pocket”.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, who had previously been sanctioned by the communist regime, criticised the Prime Minister in Parliament on Monday.
Foreign minister Baroness Chapman of Darlington argued Mr Lai should be freed immediately but said the government would not “get everything we want with one visit”.
Sir Keir headed to China after the government gave the go-ahead to Beijing’s proposed new super-embassy in London, despite security concerns.
During his trip, the Prime Minister raised Mr Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
More here.
Starmer under fire for not securing release of Jimmy Lai during China trip
Top judge warned that calls to free Jimmy Lai prematurely would undermine the city’s rule of law
Sunday 8 February 2026 17:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarChief Justice Andrew Cheung, Hong Kong's top judge, recently said that calls to free Lai prematurely would undermine the city's rule of law.
"Such demands not only circumvent the legal procedures established to ensure accountability under the law, but also strike at the very heart of the rule of law itself," he said.
My father Jimmy Lai’s Hong Kong imprisonment is not justice – Britain must act now
Sunday 8 February 2026 16:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarMy father, Jimmy Lai, was ludicrously found guilty in a politically motivated trial in Hong Kong of trying to destroy the city he made his home in and which he loves.
His vocal dedication to democracy and human rights has been twisted into a violation of the city’s vague and draconian national security law.
As the owner of the largest pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, he was an obvious target for the Chinese Communist Party-backed government, which viewed him as a symbol of what it feared most: dissent.
One of the longest trials in Hong Kong’s history was an unjust legal process; there was no jury, and he was denied the lawyer of his choosing. The law was passed in the summer of 2020, and my father was arrested within weeks, with prosecutors pointing to things he’d done years before.
We knew that this verdict was coming. But we also know that this is not the end of the story. This is the beginning of a new chapter in the campaign for his release.
The jailing of a British citizen under a draconian national security law should halt any pretence of ‘normal’ relations with China, says Sebastien Lai, son of political prisoner Jimmy Lai. Silence is no longer an option.
My father Jimmy Lai’s Hong Kong imprisonment is not justice – Britain must act now
Who is Jimmy Lai?
Sunday 8 February 2026 15:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSir Keir Starmer has landed in China for the first trip to the country by a UK leader in eight years, telling reporters that he will “raise the issues that need to be raised” with president Xi Jinping.
The prime minister has come under pressure from human rights groups to press for the release of British national Jimmy Lai, a former media tycoon and pro-democracy activist.
Mr Lai is facing a life sentence in prison after a Hong Kong court found him guilty of national security offences last December. He has already spent five years behind bars for his role in Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy protests.
More here.
Who is Jimmy Lai? British citizen and activist imprisoned by China
Inside the Hong Kong newsrooms stifled by fear after Jimmy Lai’s conviction
Sunday 8 February 2026 14:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarWhen police raided the Apple Daily newsroom in 2021, journalists across Hong Kong understood they were watching more than the collapse of a newspaper. They were being shown the future.
A little over four years later, the conviction of the paper’s founder Jimmy Lai on sedition charges has merely formalised that state of affairs. The real impact has long since settled in, embedded in daily decisions about what can be written, who can speak, and how far the press can push in their pursuit of the truth.
What remains of journalism is editors identifying invisible red lines, protecting staff and ensuring their reporting does not expose journalists or sources, while reporters engage in self-censorship to escape harassment and intimidation by the government.
More here.
Inside the Hong Kong newsrooms stifled by fear after Jimmy Lai’s conviction
Jimmy Lai's marathon trial ran for 156 days
Sunday 8 February 2026 13:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarJimmy Lai's marathon trial began in December 2023 and ran for 156 days. In 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law upon the Asian financial hub following mass and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Among the allegations, Lai was found guilty of using Apple Daily as a platform to conspire with six former executives and others to produce seditious publications between April 2019 and June 2021, as well as to collude with foreign forces, including the US, between July 2020 and June 2021.
He was accused of conspiring with activist Andy Li, paralegal Chan Tsz-wah and others to invite foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockades and other hostile activities against Hong Kong and China.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai to learn fate in national security case
Sunday 8 February 2026 12:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHong Kong’s pro-democracy media tycoon, Jimmy Lai, is set to be sentenced on Monday following his conviction in December under Beijing’s imposed national security law.
The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper could face a life sentence in a case that has drawn significant criticism from several foreign governments.
The judiciary confirmed on Friday that the sentencing session is scheduled for 10 am on Monday.
Lai, an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party, was arrested in 2020 under the national security law, which Beijing asserted was necessary for the city’s stability after anti-government protests the previous year.
More here.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai to learn fate in national security case
Jimmy Lai’s son says UK government did not do enough
Sunday 8 February 2026 11:59 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe son of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has criticised the UK government for failing to press for his father’s release during the prime minister’s visit to China last week.
Sebastien Lai said his father’s imprisonment was not only a humanitarian and national security concern, but also a case where “our values are being locked up” alongside him.
“If it is so important then surely there should be some conditionalities put on my father’s release. The trip was a big thing to have been given away, the embassy as well,” said Lai, speaking at an all-party parliamentary group on arbitrary detention.
Jimmy Lai’s teeth rotting and nails falling out in jail, his children say
Sunday 8 February 2026 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe family of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai has raised renewed concerns over their diabetic father’s deteriorating health condition and alleged mistreatment in solitary confinement at a Hong Kong jail.
Lai’s children said the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily has lost “a significant amount of weight”, with his teeth rotting and nails falling out.
He has been kept in a solitary confinement cell, where summer temperatures rise to 44C, for nearly four years for his alleged role in the pro-democracy protests of 2019, which led to Beijing imposing the national security law in the city.
“He has lost a very significant amount of weight, visibly, and he is a lot weaker than he was before,” his daughter Claire Lai previously told AFP news agency.
Jimmy Lai to be sentenced on Monday
Sunday 8 February 2026 10:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be sentenced on Monday in a closely watched national security trial that has drawn international criticism, including from the US and Britain.
The 78-year-old Briton was found guilty in December of two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under a China-imposed national security law, as well as a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
Jai, a pro-democracy campaigner and founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, has denied all wrongdoing but faces life in prison.
Inside the Hong Kong newsrooms stifled by fear after Jimmy Lai’s conviction
Sunday 8 February 2026 11:26 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarWhen police raided the Apple Daily newsroom in 2021, journalists across Hong Kong understood they were watching more than the collapse of a newspaper. They were being shown the future.
A little over four years later, the conviction of the paper’s founder Jimmy Lai on sedition charges has merely formalised that state of affairs. The real impact has long since settled in, embedded in daily decisions about what can be written, who can speak, and how far the press can push in their pursuit of the truth.
What remains of journalism is editors identifying invisible red lines, protecting staff and ensuring their reporting does not expose journalists or sources, while reporters engage in self-censorship to escape harassment and intimidation by the government.
More here.
Inside the Hong Kong newsrooms stifled by fear after Jimmy Lai’s conviction
