The jailing of Hong Kong’s most prominent media tycoon sends a chilling message to journalists around the world
Jimmy Lai’s Imprisonment Is Not Just Hong Kong’s Crisis — It Is the World’s
When a Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison in February 2026, it did not merely end one man’s freedom. It completed Beijing’s systematic erasure of independent journalism in a city that was once one of Asia’s most vibrant press environments, and it sent a message to every journalist, editor, and media owner who covers China or lives under authoritarian rule anywhere on earth: speak truth to power and face destruction.
Lai founded Apple Daily, the outspoken pro-democracy tabloid that became the most widely read Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong and a consistent thorn in Beijing’s side. When authorities shut Apple Daily down in 2021 by freezing its assets and arresting its staff under the National Security Law, they removed the most influential independent voice in Hong Kong’s public life. Lai had already been arrested and was awaiting trial. His newspaper was killed to prevent it from continuing to advocate for him and for the democracy movement he had supported for decades.
The Charges Were Political, Not Legal
Lai was convicted on charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces — a charge under the National Security Law that criminalizes accepting support from or communicating with foreign governments, organizations, or individuals in ways that authorities deem harmful to national security. In practice, this charge was applied to Lai’s meetings with foreign officials, his interviews with foreign media, and his public support for Western governments’ scrutiny of Beijing’s behavior in Hong Kong. These are activities that journalists and media owners engage in routinely in every functioning democracy on earth.
The Wall Street Journal and other major international news organizations have argued that Lai’s prosecution is not a legal proceeding but a political act — the use of judicial machinery to punish a man whose only real crime was telling the truth about power. The 20-year sentence, handed down to a man already in his mid-seventies, is in effect a life sentence. Reporters Without Borders has ranked Hong Kong near the bottom of global press freedom indices since the NSL’s enactment, a collapse from the relative freedom the city enjoyed before 2020.
The International Response Has Been Inadequate
Governments around the world issued statements condemning Lai’s conviction and sentence. US President Trump said he wanted China’s leader to free Lai. The UK government, which granted Lai British citizenship, expressed grave concern. The EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan all registered formal protests. But Lai remains imprisoned and the Hong Kong government dismissed every foreign statement as interference in China’s internal affairs.
The inadequacy of the international response to Lai’s imprisonment is a serious problem that goes beyond one man’s fate. When the jailing of a 76-year-old newspaper publisher for the crime of journalism produces nothing more than diplomatic statements, authoritarian governments around the world take note. The lesson they draw is that the international community will express displeasure but will not impose meaningful costs. That lesson encourages further repression. Committee to Protect Journalists tracks imprisoned journalists worldwide and has made Lai’s case a centerpiece of its advocacy for press freedom in Asia.
What Apple Daily Meant to Hong Kong
To understand what was lost when Apple Daily was shut down and Jimmy Lai was imprisoned, it is necessary to understand what the newspaper meant in Hong Kong’s media landscape. Apple Daily was brash, populist, and sometimes sensationalist. But it was genuinely fearless in its coverage of Beijing and the Hong Kong government, it gave voice to the democracy movement in ways that no other major publication would match, and it was trusted by millions of readers precisely because it was clearly not an instrument of the authorities.
In a media environment where most major outlets either exercised self-censorship or were directly controlled by mainland-connected owners, Apple Daily’s independence was genuinely precious. Its shutdown left a void in Hong Kong’s public sphere that has not been filled. Overseas pro-democracy media outlets run by exiled Hong Kongers — including the publication whose name we carry on our masthead — are among the few remaining voices attempting to fill that void from a distance. The work of those journalists and editors carries on the spirit of what Apple Daily represented.
The Right to Know Is a Democracy Issue
Press freedom and democracy are not separate causes. They are the same cause expressed in different domains. A free press is the mechanism by which democratic citizens hold power accountable, understand the choices their governments are making on their behalf, and maintain the informed public discourse that self-governance requires. When Beijing destroyed Hong Kong’s free press, it was not attacking journalism — it was attacking the informational infrastructure of democracy itself.
Jimmy Lai understood that. He funded Apple Daily, accepted the personal risks of confronting Beijing’s power, and continued to speak out even as it became clear that the consequences would be severe. He is now serving what is likely a life sentence for that choice. The least the rest of us can do is refuse to forget why he made it, and to keep telling the story of Hong Kong’s democracy movement to the world. PEN America has championed Lai’s case and continues to advocate for his release as part of its broader defense of writers and journalists persecuted for their work. Hong Kong Watch maintains a detailed timeline of his prosecution and calls for his release. These organizations carry the torch when governments fall silent.
Wai Ling Fung
Public Health & Social Issues Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: wailing.fung@appledaily.uk
Wai Ling Fung is a public health and social issues journalist with professional experience covering health policy, social welfare systems, and community resilience within Chinese-speaking societies. She received her journalism education at a highly regarded Chinese journalism school, where she trained in evidence-based reporting, data interpretation, and ethical standards for sensitive coverage.
Her work at Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese newspapers includes reporting on healthcare access, pandemic response, elder care, disability rights, and public resource allocation. Wai Ling’s reporting is grounded in primary documentation, expert interviews, and direct engagement with affected communities, ensuring accuracy and relevance.
She has operated in fast-moving newsroom environments where misinformation carries real consequences, giving her practical experience in verification under pressure. Her stories are known for precise sourcing, careful contextualization, and restraint in tone, especially when covering medically or socially sensitive topics.
Wai Ling’s authority is established through sustained publication within reputable media organizations and adherence to strict editorial review processes. She follows correction and transparency protocols that reinforce reader trust.
At Apple Daily UK, Wai Ling Fung delivers responsible, experience-driven journalism that helps readers understand complex public health and social issues through verified facts and professional judgment.
