Media tycoon receives harshest punishment under national security law in landmark case
Landmark Verdict Ends Five-Year Legal Battle
Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, ending a years-long legal battle that has come to symbolize Beijing’s transformation of the once-freewheeling financial hub. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper received the longest sentence delivered under the sweeping national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, effectively ensuring he will not be eligible for parole until his late 90s. The sentence means Lai, a self-made billionaire who became one of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy advocates and critics of Beijing’s Communist Party, will almost certainly die in prison unless authorities decide to release him on compassionate grounds. Lai was found guilty in December 2025 of two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces under the National Security Law and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications under the Crimes Ordinance. Prosecutors argued that Lai orchestrated campaigns to lobby foreign governments for sanctions against Hong Kong and China, and that Apple Daily published up to 161 seditious articles designed to bring hatred or contempt against the government. The court ruled that Lai’s actions were “not only well planned but were premeditated” to reach both local and overseas audiences, concluding he committed the “most serious category” of sedition given the number of articles involved and the duration of the offenses. Looking visibly slim in a white jacket, Lai smiled slightly upon hearing the sentence and had put his hands together to greet those sitting in the court gallery. Six former Apple Daily colleagues who were also charged received sentences ranging from 6 years and 9 months to 10 years behind bars, while Apple Daily and its affiliated companies were fined 6 million Hong Kong dollars.
International Condemnation and Diplomatic Pressure
The verdict and sentence have galvanized international calls for Lai’s release and drawn sharp criticism from Western governments, human rights organizations, and press freedom advocates. Lai holds British citizenship, and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the prosecution “politically motivated,” describing the prison term as tantamount to a life sentence. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has called for Lai’s release on humanitarian grounds, though diplomatic engagement has thus far failed to secure any concessions from Hong Kong or Beijing authorities. US President Donald Trump, who previously vowed to “get him out,” is expected to travel to China in the coming months to meet President Xi Jinping, and many of Lai’s supporters hope he will raise the case during these discussions. Trump stated in December that he had asked Xi to consider Lai’s release, and US Ambassador to China David Perdue has indicated that Lai’s case is part of “ongoing discussions” with Chinese officials. However, Beijing has previously dismissed such criticism as attempts to smear Hong Kong’s judicial system, while Hong Kong authorities maintain that the case “has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press” but rather concerns illegal activities that harmed China and Hong Kong’s security. Human Rights Watch Asia Director Elaine Pearson described the sentence as “effectively a death sentence” for the 78-year-old defendant, calling it “both cruel and profoundly unjust.” The Committee to Protect Journalists declared that “the rule of law has been completely shattered in Hong Kong” and described the decision as “the final nail in the coffin for press freedom in Hong Kong.” The organization called on the international community to step up pressure to free Lai “if we want press freedom to be respected anywhere in the world.”
Implications for Journalism and Civil Society
Lai’s prosecution and sentencing represent the culmination of a systematic dismantling of Hong Kong’s once-vibrant media landscape and civil society. Lai was one of the first prominent figures arrested under the national security law in August 2020. Within a year, several of Apple Daily’s senior journalists were also arrested, and police raids, prosecutions, and a freeze of the newspaper’s assets forced it to close permanently in June 2021, ending a 26-year run as one of Hong Kong’s most popular and outspoken publications. The newspaper, which combined tabloid sensationalism with aggressive investigative journalism and unapologetic support for democratic reforms, had been a thorn in Beijing’s side for decades. Its closure eliminated one of the last major media outlets in Hong Kong willing to criticize Chinese authorities directly. Since the implementation of the national security law, authorities have jailed dozens of dissidents, forced civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband, and effectively neutered the city’s once-raucous political scene. The law, which punishes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with sentences up to life in prison, has been used against pro-democracy politicians, activists, journalists, and even teachers and social workers. Legal experts note that the case against Lai represents a broad construction of what constitutes “collusion with foreign forces” and “seditious intent.” Urania Chiu, lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University, observed that offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which often involves engagement with international platforms and audiences, may now easily run afoul of these laws. The implication is particularly alarming for journalists and academics whose work inherently involves international engagement and freedom of expression.
Family Appeals and Humanitarian Concerns
Lai’s family has expressed devastation at the sentence and raised serious concerns about his health and survival in custody. His son Sebastien described the sentence as “devastating for our family and life-threatening” for his father, who has been held in custody for more than five years, much of it in solitary confinement. The family has warned that Lai suffers from heart palpitations and high blood pressure, and they fear he could die in prison before completing even a fraction of his sentence. Lai’s daughter Claire called the sentence “heartbreakingly cruel,” stating that “if this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars.” The family has appealed to world leaders, particularly in the United States and United Kingdom, to intervene on humanitarian grounds and secure Lai’s release. They emphasize that as a 78-year-old man with deteriorating health, any lengthy prison sentence effectively amounts to capital punishment by natural causes. Sebastien Lai expressed hope that China might release his father as a gesture to improve relations with the UK and US, particularly ahead of Trump’s scheduled visit to China in April 2026, suggesting “there’s no upside in what China is doing to dad and there are very real consequences if he dies in there.” Supporters had been lining up for days outside the West Kowloon court hoping to catch a glimpse of Lai, with police ramping up security and searching those in line. One supporter, 75-year-old Chan Chun-yee, told media that Lai is “the flag of Hong Kong,” explaining that while he didn’t agree with everything Lai did, he aligned with his spirit and pursuit of freedom, democracy, and justice. Hong Kong leader John Lee defended the sentence, saying Lai deserved the 20-year term for his “evil deeds,” while China’s foreign ministry called the punishment “legitimate and reasonable.” The starkly different characterizations of Lai as either a courageous advocate for democratic values or a dangerous criminal who colluded with foreign forces to undermine Hong Kong’s stability reflect the deep political divisions surrounding the national security law and its application.
