Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security offences, a punishment his daughter described as 'heartbreakingly cruel' given his age and declining health. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily was convicted in December on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.
The sentence is the harshest handed down under Hong Kong's national security law, which was imposed in June 2020. Lai's daughter, Claire Lai, said the term could mean 'he will die a martyr behind bars'. Her brother, Sebastien Lai, called the sentence 'draconian' and 'devastating'. The judges described Lai as the 'mastermind' behind the conspiracies but granted minor deductions on health grounds.
The sentencing drew widespread condemnation from press freedom and human rights groups. Reporters Without Borders said it marked 'the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong', while Human Rights Watch called the jail term 'effectively a death sentence'. Amnesty International described the case as 'another grim milestone in Hong Kong's transformation from a city governed by the rule of law to one ruled by fear'.
Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, welcomed the sentence, calling Lai's crimes 'heinous and evil in the extreme'. Beijing's foreign affairs spokesperson, Lin Jian, said the sentence was 'legitimate' and 'reasonable'. The British government, which has called for Lai's release, said the UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, described the term as 'tantamount to a life sentence' and pledged to engage further on the case.
Lai's prosecution has been criticised as politically motivated. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer raised the case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing in January, but no progress on securing Lai's release has been reported. US President Donald Trump has also called for Lai's freedom.
