Jimmy Lai Gets 20-Year Sentence in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong High Court's sentencing of Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily founder and democracy advocate, to 20 years in prison is a devastating blow to media freedom in the city, Human Rights Watch said today. It is by far the harshest sentence handed down under the National Security Law since the Chinese government imposed the draconian legislation on Hong Kong in June 2020.
Lai, a 78-year-old British citizen, was convicted on December 15, 2025, on 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. The Hong Kong government should immediately and unconditionally release Lai.
"Hong Kong's pretrial detention and baseless prosecution of Jimmy Lai since his arrest in 2020 have been marked by unrelenting cruelty," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The 20-year sentence for 78-year-old Lai-effectively life in prison-shows the Chinese government's determination to crush independent journalism and critics of the Communist Party."
Six former Apple Daily executives and editors, who previously pleaded guilty to similar charges in the same case, also received severe sentences ranging from 6 years and 9 months to 10 years in prison. Three of them testified against Lai in exchange for reduced sentences.
Two activists linked to the campaign group Stand with Hong Kong, Andy Li and Wayland Chan, also pleaded guilty earlier to "conspiring" with Lai to commit "foreign collusion" and testified against Lai in exchange for lighter sentences. Li and Chan were sentenced to 7 years and 3 months and 6 years and 3 months in prison, respectively.
In its sentencing decision, the court ruled that Lai's role as the "mastermind and the driving force" behind the "conspiracies" constituted an aggravating factor justifying a longer prison term. The court granted a slight, but inconsequential, sentence deduction due to Lai's "old age, health condition, and solitary confinement," but said his "serious and grave criminal conduct" warranted the 20-year sentence.
In response to the ruling, Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the Hong Kong Police Force's National Security Department said
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/09/hong-kong-publisher-jimmy-lai-sentenced-to-20-years
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