A Hong Kong court has sentenced media tycoon and pro democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai to a total of 20 years in prison in the city’s most closely watched national security case since Beijing imposed the law in 2020.
Lai, 78, founded the now closed Apple Daily newspaper and has been in custody since late 2020. A court convicted him in December 2025 of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a separate count linked to publishing seditious material.
Outside the West Kowloon court complex, police kept a heavy presence as journalists and members of the public gathered. Dozens of Lai’s supporters queued for days to try to get a seat in the courtroom.
Reuters and the Associated Press reported Lai arrived wearing a white jacket, smiling and waving. They said he held his hands together in a prayer like gesture. Inside the public gallery, some people cried as the court delivered the sentence.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said the outcome showed the rule of law. Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the sentence warned that anyone who challenges national security laws will be punished.
A senior police official, Steve Li, said claims about Lai’s health had been exaggerated.
Britain has repeatedly called for Lai’s release, noting he is a British citizen. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has described the prosecution as politically motivated.
In the United States, President Donald Trump said he had raised Lai’s case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He said he urged Xi to consider releasing him.
Apple Daily was forced to close in June 2021 after arrests of senior journalists and the freezing of assets. Supporters saw it as a turning point for press freedom in the city.
Rights and press groups said Monday’s sentence reinforced their fears about how the national security law is being used to curb dissent.
Lai’s lawyer, Robert Pang, said he had 28 days to lodge an appeal. Six former Apple Daily employees and two activists sentenced alongside Lai received prison terms ranging from six years and three months to 10 years.
