Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years Under Hong Kong’s National Security Law

Hong Kong media entrepreneur and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security offences, marking the most severe penalty handed down under the city’s sweeping security regime and intensifying international criticism over the erosion of civil liberties in the former British colony.

The 78-year-old founder of Apple Daily, once one of Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy newspapers, was convicted in December on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. The collusion charges carried a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

In their ruling, three government-designated judges described Lai as the “mastermind” behind the conspiracies. While they granted minor reductions to his sentence on health grounds, the court ultimately imposed a 20-year term — the harshest sentence to date under the national security framework imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.

Outside the courtroom in West Kowloon, media gathered as a prison van believed to be carrying Lai departed under heavy security. The sentencing closes a years-long legal battle that critics say symbolizes Hong Kong’s dramatic political transformation from a semi-autonomous global financial hub into a city where dissent is tightly constrained.

Lai’s family reacted with anguish. His daughter, Claire Lai, called the punishment “heartbreakingly cruel,” warning that her father’s declining health could mean “he will die a martyr behind bars.” His son, Sebastien Lai, described the sentence as “draconian” and “devastating,” adding that time was running out to secure his father’s release on humanitarian grounds.

Human rights organizations were swift in their condemnation. Reporters Without Borders declared that the ruling marked “the curtain falls on press freedom in Hong Kong.” Human Rights Watch said the 20-year term was “effectively a death sentence,” while Amnesty International described the case as “another grim milestone” in what it sees as the city’s shift from rule of law to rule by fear.

Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, defended the court’s decision, calling Lai’s crimes “heinous and evil in the extreme” and describing the sentence as evidence that the rule of law had prevailed. Beijing echoed that view, with foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian characterizing the ruling as “legitimate” and “reasonable.” Steve Li, head of the police national security department, said claims about Lai’s deteriorating health were exaggerated.

The case has also drawn sustained diplomatic attention. The United Kingdom, where Lai holds citizenship, has repeatedly called for his release. British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the sentence was “tantamount to a life sentence” for a man of his age and vowed to pursue further discussions with Beijing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is understood to have raised the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a recent visit to Beijing.

In the United States, President Donald Trump has also publicly expressed support for Lai’s release. Lawmakers, including Representative John Moolenaar, have suggested that freeing Lai could serve as a gesture of goodwill in U.S.–China relations.

Lai has been in custody since December 2020, much of that time reportedly in solitary confinement. His family says he has suffered significant weight loss and dental problems while incarcerated, though authorities insist he has received appropriate medical care and that he requested separation from other inmates.

The prosecution centered on allegations that Lai used his newspaper and international contacts — particularly in the United States — to advocate for sanctions against Hong Kong and China following the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019. Prosecutors argued that such actions amounted to collusion with foreign forces under the national security law enacted in June 2020. Lai maintained that he never called for sanctions after the law came into force, stating it would have been “suicidal” to do so.

The trial, spanning months and culminating in an 855-page judgment, also resulted in prison terms for eight co-defendants, including former executives of Apple Daily and activists who pleaded guilty. Sentences ranged from just over six years to a decade.

For supporters of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, Lai’s imprisonment represents more than the downfall of a media mogul; it signals what they see as the near-total dismantling of the city’s once-vibrant independent press. For authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing, the case underscores their determination to enforce the national security law and maintain political stability.

As international appeals continue, Lai’s future now hinges on whether diplomatic negotiations — or humanitarian considerations — might alter the course of a sentence that many of his supporters fear he may not survive.