Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security offences. His daughter, Claire Lai, said the sentence could mean 'he will die a martyr behind bars', describing it as 'heartbreakingly cruel' given her father's declining health at age 78. Her brother, Sebastien Lai, called the sentence 'draconian' and 'devastating'.
Lai was convicted in December on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, having pleaded not guilty to all charges. The judges described him as the 'mastermind' behind the conspiracies, with the collusion charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Minor deductions were granted on health grounds.
The sentence, the harshest for national security offences in Hong Kong, drew immediate condemnation from Taiwan, press freedom groups, and human rights organisations. Reporters Without Borders said the decision 'underscores the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong'. Human Rights Watch described the length of the sentence as 'effectively a death sentence', while Amnesty International called it 'another grim milestone'.
Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, called the sentencing 'deeply gratifying', stating that Lai's crimes were 'heinous and evil in the extreme'. Police chief superintendent Steve Li said the sentence was 'appropriate', and Beijing's foreign affairs spokesperson Lin Jian deemed it 'legitimate' and 'reasonable'. The British government, however, has called for Lai's release on humanitarian grounds, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper saying the sentence is 'tantamount to a life sentence'.
Lai is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, which supported the pro-democracy movement. He was arrested in August 2020 under the national security law imposed in June 2020, which the authorities said was necessary to restore stability. The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised Lai's case with China's President Xi Jinping in January, but no progress on securing Lai's release has been reported. US President Donald Trump has also called for Lai's freedom.
