Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in one of the most prominent cases brought under Hong Kong’s national security law. A High Court panel on Monday convicted Lai of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious material — offences carrying some of the most severe penalties under the Beijing-imposed law.
Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper known for its critical stance toward Beijing, has been detained since 2020 as part of a legal saga that has lasted nearly five years. At sentencing, judges applied the maximum “grave nature” penalty band, saying Lai was a driving force behind efforts deemed harmful to national security.
Rights groups, family members and Western governments have strongly condemned the sentence, warning that Lai’s advanced age and health conditions make a 20-year term effectively a life sentence. Critics argue the case signals a sharp decline in press freedom and civil liberties in Hong Kong. Taiwan’s government also called the punishment “harsh” and urged Lai’s release.
Hong Kong authorities, however, maintain that the prosecution was about upholding the rule of law and had nothing to do with press freedom.News as reported.
