Hong Kong will announce the verdict on Monday in Jimmy Lai's national security trial, a case that has drawn strong international criticism as a sign of shrinking freedoms. Lai, 78 and a British citizen, faces a collusion charge that could bring life imprisonment and an additional seditious publication charge tied to 161 items. Rights groups call the proceedings a 'sham' and warn about his deteriorating health; authorities say the case has been handled according to law.
Verdict Due Monday in Jimmy Lai’s National Security Trial as Rights Groups Decry a 'Sham'
Hearings for Lai's case often drew a large crowd of supporters and press (Vernon Yuen)(Vernon Yuen/AFP/AFP)
A Hong Kong court will deliver a verdict on Monday in the high-profile national security case against pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a proceeding widely viewed by rights groups and Western governments as evidence of eroding political freedoms in the city.
Lai, who turned 78 this week, is charged with colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong's national security law — the sweeping legislation Beijing introduced after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. The collusion charge carries a potential life sentence. He also faces an additional charge of 'seditious publication,' with prosecutors citing 161 items, including opinion pieces bearing his byline.
The Apple Daily founder has been detained since late 2020 and has reportedly spent much of that time in solitary confinement. His long-running trial, which opened in December 2023 after multiple delays, has stretched across roughly two years of proceedings.
Journalists were already queuing on Friday outside the West Kowloon law courts to secure seats for Monday's reading of the verdict. The hearing before a three-judge panel is scheduled to begin at 10:00am local time (0200 GMT), according to a court diary notice.
International Criticism
Rights organisations and Western governments have sharply criticised the trial. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the 'short-notice announcement' of the verdict and denounced the proceedings as 'arbitrary and unlawful.' The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the trial 'a travesty of justice.' Beh Lih Yi, CPJ's Asia-Pacific regional director, said the case was originally expected to take about 30 days and warned there were 'serious concerns that the 78-year-old may die in prison as each day passes.'
'The trial can only be described as a sham and has nothing to do with the rule of law,' RSF said in its statement, urging Britain and the United States to press Beijing for Lai's release.
Authorities' Response and Health Concerns
Hong Kong authorities have rejected international criticism, saying the case has been 'handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law.' At a regular briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing 'firmly supports' Hong Kong in safeguarding national security and punishing acts that endanger it.
Throughout the trial, Lai has fielded questions about his political views, management style and overseas contacts. He has twice described himself as a 'political prisoner' — a remark that drew judicial rebukes — and has denied advocating sanctions, separatism or violent resistance.
Lai is a British citizen. His family have voiced growing alarm about his health: his daughter Claire Lai told AFP that his nails 'turn almost purple, grey and greenish before they fall off,' and that 'his teeth are getting rotten.' The Hong Kong government has said prison authorities 'handle the custodial arrangements for (Lai) in the same way as other persons-in-custody' and that he is 'receiving appropriate treatment and care in prison.'
Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 after police raids and arrests of its senior editors, an outcome critics say signalled a shrinking space for independent media in Hong Kong.
Monday's verdict will be closely watched internationally for its legal and political implications for Hong Kong's press freedom and judicial independence.
