FILE – Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai pauses throughout an interview in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020.
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Vincent Yu/AP
HONG KONG — Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and a fierce critic of Beijing, was sentenced on Monday to twenty years in jail within the longest punishment given to this point underneath a China-imposed nationwide safety regulation that has nearly silenced the town’s dissent.
Lai, 78, was convicted in December of conspiring with others to collude with international forces to hazard nationwide safety, and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. The utmost penalty for his conviction was life imprisonment.
His co-defendants, six former staff of his Apple Day by day newspaper and two activists, obtained jail phrases of between 6 years and three months, and 10 years on collusion-related expenses.
Lai smiled and waved at his supporters when he arrived for the sentence. However earlier than he left the courtroom, he seemed severe, as some folks within the public gallery cried. When requested about whether or not they would enchantment, his lawyer Robert Pang stated no remark.
Lai’s daughter says he’ll die ‘a martyr’ in jail
The democracy advocate’s arrest and trial have raised issues concerning the decline of press freedom in what was as soon as an Asian bastion of media independence. The federal government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used information reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.
Lai was one of many first outstanding figures to be arrested underneath the safety regulation in 2020. Inside a yr, a few of Apple Day by day’s senior journalists additionally had been arrested and the newspaper shut down in June 2021.
FILE – Hong Kong writer and outstanding pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, proper, walks by the Stanley jail in Hong Kong, Friday, July 28, 2023.
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Louise Delmotte/AP
Lai’s sentencing may heighten Beijing’s diplomatic tensions with international governments, which have criticized Lai’s conviction and sentencing.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who is predicted to go to China in April, stated he felt “so badly” after the decision and famous he spoke to Chinese language chief Xi Jinping about Lai and requested him “to think about his launch.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s authorities additionally has known as for the discharge of Lai, who’s a British citizen. U.Ok. International Secretary Yvette Cooper known as the prosecution “politically motivated,” saying the jail time period is tantamount to a life sentence. Australian International Minister Penny Wong stated her authorities was gravely involved over the sentences.
In a press release, Lai’s son, Sebastien, stated the “draconian” jail time period was devastating for his household and life-threatening for his father. “It signifies the entire destruction of the Hong Kong authorized system and the top of justice,” he stated.
His sister Claire known as the sentence “heartbreakingly merciless” in the identical assertion. “If this sentence is carried out, he’ll die a martyr behind bars,” she stated.
Hong Kong chief John Lee stated Lai’s sentence demonstrated the rule of regulation, citing his severe crimes.
“It is bringing nice satisfaction to the folks,” he stated in a press release.
Judges dominated Lai was the mastermind
Lai based Apple Day by day, a now-defunct newspaper recognized for its important stories in opposition to the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing. He was arrested in August 2020 underneath the safety regulation that was utilized in a yearslong crackdown on lots of Hong Kong’s main activists.
Of their ruling, three government-vetted judges wrote that the start line of Lai’s sentence was elevated as a result of they discovered him to be the mastermind of the conspiracies. However additionally they lowered his penalty as a result of they accepted that Lai’s age, well being situation and solitary confinement would trigger his jail life to be extra burdensome than that of different inmates.
“Lai was little question the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged and due to this fact he warrants a heavier sentence,” they stated “As regards the others, it’s tough to tell apart their relative culpability.”
Retired Chinese language cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun, left, and Jimmy Lai’s spouse Teresa Lai arrive on the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts forward of the sentencing for former Hong Kong writer Jimmy Lai n Hong Kong, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.
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Chan Lengthy Hei/AP
They took into consideration that Lai is serving a jail time period of 5 years and 9 months in a separate fraud case and dominated that 18 years of Lai’s sentence within the safety case ought to be served consecutively to that jail time period.
Urania Chiu, lecturer in regulation at Oxford Brookes College, stated the case is critical for its broad development of seditious intent and utility of the time period “collusion with international forces” to sure actions by the media. The implication is especially alarming for journalists and people working in academia, she stated.
“Providing and publishing official critiques of the state, which frequently includes engagement with worldwide platforms and audiences, could now simply be construed as ‘collusion,'” Chiu stated.
Lai has been in custody for greater than 5 years. In January, Pang stated Lai suffered well being points together with coronary heart palpitations, hypertension and diabetes. The prosecution stated a medical report famous Lai’s normal well being situation remained steady. The federal government stated his solitary confinement was at Lai’s want.
Co-defendants get lowered sentences
The previous Apple Day by day staffers and activists concerned in Lai’s case entered responsible pleas, which helped cut back their sentences Monday. They earlier admitted to the prosecution cost that stated they conspired with Lai to request international forces to impose sanctions or blockades, or have interaction in different hostile actions in opposition to Hong Kong or China.
The convicted journalists are writer Cheung Kim-hung, affiliate writer Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Regulation, govt editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, govt editor-in-chief chargeable for English information Fung Wai-kong and editorial author Yeung Ching-kee. They obtained jail phrases ranging between six years and 9 months, to 10 years.
The 2 activists, Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, had been sentenced to 6 years and three months, and 7 years and three months respectively.
The penalties for Cheung, Chan and Yeung, alongside the 2 activists, had been lowered partly as a result of they served as prosecution witnesses and the judges stated their proof had “considerably” contributed to the conviction of Lai.
Earlier than dawn, dozens of individuals stood in line outdoors the courtroom constructing to safe a seat within the courtroom. Considered one of them was former Apple Day by day worker Tammy Cheung.
“No matter occurs, it is an finish — not less than we’ll know the result,” Cheung stated earlier than the sentence was delivered.
Case thought-about a blow to Hong Kong media
Lai based Apple Day by day in 1995, two years earlier than the previous British colony returned to Chinese language rule. Its closure in 2021 shocked the native press scene. Hong Kong ranked one hundred and fortieth out of 180 territories within the press-freedom index compiled by media freedom group Reporters With out Borders in 2025, removed from its 18th place in 2002.
Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police power’s Nationwide Safety Division, welcomed the heavy sentence on Lai. “Clearly, he has completed nothing good for Hong Kong that would function a foundation for his mitigation,” he instructed reporters.
The federal government stated it should confiscate belongings associated to Lai’s crime.
Human Rights Watch’s Asia Director Elaine Pearson stated the tough 20-year-sentence is successfully a demise sentence, calling it merciless and unjust.
