BREAKING: Media Tycoon And China Critic Jimmy Lai Sentenced To Prison [DETAILS]
A Hong Kong court has jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 years after convicting him of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, delivering the harshest sentence yet under the city’s national security law.
The sentencing on Monday ends a nearly five-year legal battle that has drawn global attention to Beijing’s tightening grip on the former British colony.
Lai, 78, founded the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, which repeatedly criticised China’s Communist Party leadership. Police arrested him in August 2020, and a court convicted him last year.
The British citizen has maintained his innocence throughout, calling himself a “political prisoner” targeted by Beijing.
Three judges declared Lai the “mastermind” behind conspiracies to seek American sanctions and other hostile actions against China. They placed his crimes in the “grave nature” category, justifying the maximum penalty range.
“Lai was no doubt the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged, and therefore he warrants a heavier sentence,” the judges wrote.
Six former Apple Daily executives, an activist and a paralegal received sentences between six and 10 years alongside Lai.
Western Governments Condemn Sentence
Britain, the United States, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the European Union quickly condemned the verdict. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper demanded Lai’s release, calling the 20-year term “tantamount to a life sentence” for the elderly publisher. She promised Britain would “rapidly engage further on Mr Lai’s case.”
TGM gathered that Japanese Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara expressed “serious concern” about the damage to Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and assembly.
China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office defended the sentence as “a solemn and powerful declaration that whoever dares to challenge the law on safeguarding national security will be severely punished.”
Hong Kong leader John Lee praised the outcome, saying Lai “has committed numerous heinous crimes, and his evil deeds were beyond measure.”
International Connections Cited As Evidence
Prosecutors built their case partly on Lai’s extensive political ties, especially with American Republicans. In July 2019, during massive pro-democracy protests, Lai met then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington. The court treated these meetings as evidence of foreign collusion.
Beijing imposed its national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, claiming the legislation would restore stability after months of sometimes violent demonstrations.
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have both raised Lai’s case directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in recent months, demanding his release.
Family Says Sentence Threatens Father’s Life
Lai’s son Sebastien called the sentence “devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father,” adding it marked the “total destruction” of Hong Kong’s legal system.
“After more than five years of relentlessly persecuting my father, it is time for China to do the right thing and release him before it is too late,” Sebastien said from outside Hong Kong.
Supporters say Lai suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. However, Hong Kong police national security chief Steve Li dismissed health concerns as “exaggerated” and insisted the tycoon deserved punishment.
Beijing and Hong Kong officials maintain that Lai received fair treatment and that the national security law applies equally to everyone. Lai, a prominent Roman Catholic, arrived at court Monday in a white jacket, smiling and waving to supporters as he pressed his hands together in prayer.
Dozens of his supporters camped outside the courthouse for days to secure seats inside.
Police deployed armoured vehicles, bomb disposal units and sniffer dogs around the building.
Human Rights Watch Asia director Elaine Pearson called the sentence “both cruel and profoundly unjust.” Lai’s lawyer, Robert Pang, declined to say whether his client would appeal, noting he has 28 days to decide.
