In Hong Kong’s biggest national security case, media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in jail on charges of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials. This legal battle has been ongoing for five years and has drawn international attention concerning the city’s freedom and autonomy.
Lai, founder of the Apple Daily newspaper and Hong Kong’s most vocal China critic, was initially arrested in August 2020, but was convicted in 2025.
Six Others Sentenced In Security Case
According to three national security judges, Lai’s sentence was within the harshest penalty “band” for offences of such “grave nature.” His sentence was further affected by the fact that he was the “mastermind” behind “persistent” foreign collusion conspiracies and thus received the most severe punishment to be meted out yet.
The judges cited prosecution evidence that the conspiracies had sought sanctions, blockades and similar hostile acts from the United States and other countries. It also involved several other individuals, including fellow Apple Daily staff, activists and foreign nationals.
Aside from Lai, six other senior Apply Daily employees, an activist and a paralegal have been sentenced to jail, their terms ranging between six and ten years.
Western Leaders Ask For Lai’s Freedom
Lai, a British citizen, has denied all charges against him and is claiming in court to be a “political prisoner” who is being persecuted by China.
However, his case has faced criticism from global leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Both leaders had raised their concerns regarding Lai’s case during meetings with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping over the last few months.
This reflects Lai’s reputation as a pro-democracy critic of China’s Communist Party leadership and his extensive political connections, including many U.S. republicans, many of whom were cited by prosecutors during the case.
This case has brought the years-long national security crackdown in Hong Kong following the pro-democracy protests from 2019. Due to these protests, Beijing had imposed a national security law upon the financial hub, claiming it was necessary to stabilise the city after months of unrest.
(With inputs from Reuters)
