A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison after convicting him under the sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing.
According to a court summary released on Monday, 18 years of the sentence will be served consecutively to a separate five-year jail term Lai is already serving in a fraud case. The ruling brings to a close one of the most closely watched prosecutions since the security law came into force in 2020.
Lai, 78, is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, once one of Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy publications. He has spent more than five years in detention and was found guilty in December on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious material.
Given his age and existing health issues, the sentence could keep him incarcerated for the remainder of his life.
Reaction From Rights Groups and Supporters
Ahead of the sentencing, press freedom advocates and Western governments urged Hong Kong authorities to release Lai, with some describing the proceedings as politically motivated.
Rights groups warned that Lai’s health—affected by heart palpitations and high blood pressure—could deteriorate further behind bars. As the verdict was delivered, Lai appeared solemn in court while some supporters in the public gallery were visibly emotional.
“This case sends a chilling message about the future of journalism in Hong Kong,” said press freedom advocates following the ruling.
Co-Defendants Also Jailed
In addition to Lai, six former senior Apple Daily editors, an activist and a paralegal were sentenced in related cases. Jail terms for Lai’s co-defendants range from six years and three months to 10 years.
Those convicted include publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, English-language executive editor Fung Wai-kong and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee.
International Fallout
The verdict has drawn renewed criticism from abroad. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the trial demonstrated “contempt” for legal protections traditionally afforded to journalists.
Reporters Without Borders said the sentence would resonate far beyond Lai’s case, shaping the future of media freedom in the territory.
Beijing has rejected such criticism, insisting that the case is unrelated to press freedom and that Hong Kong’s courts remain independent. Local authorities maintain that the national security law targets criminal acts, not journalism.
Diplomatic Pressure Mounts
Lai’s sentencing is expected to further strain relations between China and Western governments. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he raised Lai’s case during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month. Lai holds British citizenship.
U.S. President Donald Trump also expressed concern, saying he had discussed Lai’s situation with Xi and urged his release.
Lai’s daughter, Claire, told Associated Press that her family would continue campaigning for her father’s freedom. “We will never stop fighting until he is released,” she said, citing their Roman Catholic faith as a source of strength.
Broader Media Clampdown
Lai was among the first high-profile figures detained under the security law. Within a year, multiple Apple Daily journalists were arrested, the paper’s assets were frozen, and police raids forced its closure in June 2021. Its final edition sold more than one million copies.
The sentencing comes amid broader concerns over the state of journalism in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Journalists Association said dozens of reporters have faced harassment, threats and intimidation in recent years.
Reporters Without Borders estimates that at least 900 journalists have lost their jobs in the four years since the national security law was enacted.
As Hong Kong’s most prominent media trial concludes, critics say the case marks a turning point—one that underscores how dramatically the city’s press landscape has changed.