Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison
Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, a ruling delivered by the city’s High Court on Monday, . The 78-year-old has been detained for over five years while serving a separate prison term related to fraud charges.
The sentencing, described as the longest handed down under the city’s national security law, surpasses the 10-year term given to activist Benny Tai in November 2024, according to reports. Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in December on charges of collusion with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
The court stated that, considering the totality of Lai’s “serious and grave criminal conduct,” a 20-year imprisonment was warranted. Eighteen years of the sentence will be served consecutively to his existing five-year jail term for fraud.
Lai’s case has drawn international condemnation, with critics arguing it represents a significant blow to press freedom and Hong Kong’s autonomy. Human Rights Watch called the sentence “both cruel and profoundly unjust,” and warned it was “effectively a death sentence” given Lai’s age and health.
The sentencing is the culmination of a years-long legal saga that has unfolded since the imposition of the national security law in 2020. The law, imposed by Beijing, has reshaped Hong Kong’s political landscape and led to a crackdown on dissent.
Claire Lai, Jimmy Lai’s daughter, described the sentence as “heartbreakingly cruel,” expressing concern for her father’s declining health. Her brother, Sebastien Lai, called the sentence “draconian” and “devastating.”
Reporters Without Borders stated that the ruling “underscores the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong and the authorities’ profound contempt for independent journalism.”
Taiwan also condemned the sentence, calling it “harsh.”
Jimmy Lai, born Lai Chee-ying in 1947, is a British-Hong Kong businessman and politician. He founded Giordano International, a prominent Asian clothing retailer, and later established Next Digital, the media company that published Apple Daily. He has been a vocal advocate for democracy in Hong Kong and a critic of the Chinese government.
Prior to this sentencing, Lai had already been convicted of unauthorized assembly related to protests in 2019, receiving jail time for his involvement in rallies on August 18, August 31, October 1, and for the 2020 Tiananmen vigil. He also faced charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces.
