Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Gets 20 Years Over Collusion Charges

A Hong Kong court has sentenced media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on Monday for national security offences. Lai had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He was convicted on three charges: two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and one count of publishing seditious materials. Six former executives of the paper were also sentenced on Monday, receiving jail terms ranging from six years and nine months to 10 years.

Lai founded Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper which was shut down in 2021 after his first arrested in 2020, his assets were later frozen. Lai, a British citizen and a long-time critic of Beijing, used Apple Daily to support pro-democracy protests.

The National Security Law was imposed by China on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2020, following massive protests in 2019 that demanded greater freedom. The protests erupted after China proposed an extradition bill that could potentially allow Hong Kong suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.

Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee said on Monday that Lai's sentencing was "deeply gratifying," describing his actions as extremely serious. He said the 20-year prison term reflected the rule of law and upheld justice in Hong Kong.

Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, said the sentence was “heartbreakingly cruel,” citing her 78-year-old father’s declining health. His son, Sebastien Lai, said that the punishment was “basically a death sentence.”

The U.S., Britain, Australia, the European Union, Japan and Taiwan expressed concerns about the sentencing. The UK government called for Lai’s release and said it would “rapidly engage further” with Beijing. The United States called it unjust and tragic, accusing Beijing of breaking international commitments.