Jimmy Lai gets 20 years jail in Hong Kong national security case

Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison under Beijing’s national security law, intensifying global concerns over press freedom and civil liberties in the city.

Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and outspoken critic of Beijing, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in one of the most high-profile prosecutions under China’s sweeping national security law, a case widely seen as emblematic of the city’s shrinking space for dissent.

Judge Esther Toh ruled that 18 years of Lai’s sentence will run consecutively to the jail term he is already serving in a separate fraud case, where he was sentenced to five years and nine months. Lai retains the right to appeal.

His co-defendants received prison terms ranging from six years and three months to 10 years.

Life sentence avoided

A panel of three government-approved judges spared the 78-year-old the maximum penalty of life imprisonment after convicting him of conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security and publishing seditious material. He was found guilty in December.

Given his age, however, the sentence could effectively keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

As Lai entered court on Monday, he waved and smiled at supporters seated in the gallery. Among those present were Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen and Lai’s wife.

Concerns over press freedom

Lai’s arrest, prosecution and sentencing have triggered widespread concern among rights groups and Western governments about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong, once regarded as a hub of independent journalism in Asia.

Authorities have repeatedly rejected such criticism, insisting the case is unrelated to media freedom and arguing that Lai and others used journalism as a cover for activities that threatened China and Hong Kong’s security.

Lai was among the first prominent figures arrested after Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020. Within months, senior journalists at his newspaper Apple Daily were also detained. Police raids, prosecutions and asset freezes eventually forced the paper to shut down in June 2021, with its final edition selling one million copies.

Diplomatic tensions

The sentencing is expected to further strain relations between Beijing and Western capitals.

The United States and the United Kingdom have criticised the conviction.
US President Donald Trump said he felt “so badly” about the verdict and had raised Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging his release.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government also called for the release of Lai, who holds British citizenship.

Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, said the family would continue to campaign for his freedom.
“We will never stop fighting until he is free,” she said.

Prosecutors called him ‘mastermind’

During the 156-day trial, prosecutors alleged Lai conspired with former Apple Daily staff and activists to seek foreign sanctions and other measures against Hong Kong and China.

Lai testified for 52 days in his defence, denying he had called for foreign sanctions after the security law came into effect.

Judges described him as the “mastermind” behind the alleged conspiracies and said he had persistently sought international pressure on Beijing.

Legal experts say the ruling sets a significant precedent.

Urania Chiu, a law lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, said the case reflects a broad interpretation of “collusion with foreign forces” that could affect journalists and academics.

“Publishing legitimate critiques of the state or engaging with international audiences may now easily be construed as collusion,” she said.

Health concerns and co-defendants

Lai has already spent more than five years in custody and suffers from health conditions including heart palpitations, high blood pressure and diabetes, according to his lawyers. Prosecutors maintain medical reports show his condition is stable.

Several co-defendants, including former Apple Daily staff, pleaded guilty and may receive reduced sentences for cooperating with authorities.

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