Jimmy Lai Jailed for 20 Years in Hong Kong: Lee Defends Sentence

Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, a punishment described by authorities as justified and a victory for the rule of law. The sentence, handed down on Monday, is the longest given to anyone prosecuted under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee stated that Lai “deserves his punishment,” asserting that the activist had “committed numerous heinous crimes and his evil deeds were beyond measure.” Lee added that the sentence “manifests that the rule of law is upheld and justice is done, and also brings great relief to all.”

The 78-year-old Lai was convicted in December of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious materials. Three designated national security judges delivered the sentence, with 18 years of the sentence to be served consecutively to a prior five-year and nine-month jail term for fraud. Lai has the right to appeal the decision.

Alongside Lai, eight others were sentenced, including six former employees of his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Ryan Law, Lam Man-chung, and Fung Wai-kong, former senior editors at Apple Daily, each received 10-year sentences. Publisher Cheung Kim-hung, former associate publisher Chan Pui-man, and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee received sentences ranging from six years and nine months to seven years and three months. Two other activists, Wayland Chan and Andy Li, were sentenced to six years and three months and seven years and three months, respectively.

The judges presiding over the case described Lai as “no doubt the mastermind” of the conspiracies. They acknowledged factors such as Lai’s age and health but balanced those against the gravity of the offenses and the public interest in upholding the law.

The sentencing has drawn condemnation from overseas NGOs, with Human Rights Watch calling the 20-year jail term “effectively a death sentence” and “both cruel and profoundly unjust.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian defended the sentence, stating that Lai had undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and deserved to be severely punished. He urged other countries to respect China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s rule of law, and to refrain from making “irresponsible remarks” about the case.

The case marks the first conviction for foreign collusion under the national security law, which was implemented in June 2020 following widespread protests. Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the police’s National Security Department welcomed the sentence and indicated that authorities would consider seeking longer sentences through appeals.

Apple Daily, once a prominent pro-democracy newspaper, was forced to shut down in June 2021 following the arrest of several of its senior journalists under the national security law. Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, has stated that his father will “die a martyr behind bars,” and that the sentence signifies “the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice.”