Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the defunct Apple Daily, will be sentenced Monday after being found guilty in December of colluding with foreign forces and of seditious publication under Hong Kong’s national security law. He faces a potential life term and will be sentenced with eight co-defendants, six of whom are former Apple Daily executives. The verdict — based in part on 161 published items and an 856-page judgment — has prompted international condemnation from leaders and rights groups, while Beijing and Hong Kong officials reject claims the case targets press freedom.
Jimmy Lai To Be Sentenced Monday After National Security Conviction
Hong kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai during an interview with AFP at the Next Digital offices in Hong Kong on June 16, 2020 (Anthony WALLACE)(Anthony WALLACE/AFP/AFP)
Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is due to be sentenced on Monday after his December conviction under the city’s national security law, a court website shows. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily was found guilty of colluding with foreign forces and of one count of seditious publication.
Sentencing And Co-Defendants
Lai faces a possible life sentence on the collusion charge. He will be sentenced alongside eight co-defendants, including six former Apple Daily executives. Lawyers say all co-defendants except Lai pleaded guilty; some of those who pleaded guilty testified against him and may receive reduced terms.
Court Findings And Evidence
In a detailed 856-page verdict published in December, judges wrote that Lai "harboured his resentment and hatred of (China) for many of his adult years" and sought the "downfall of the Chinese Communist Party." Prosecutors cited 161 Apple Daily items as part of the case, arguing those pieces were seditious under a colonial-era law for allegedly "exciting disaffection" toward the government.
Lai has denied attempting to influence foreign policy, saying Apple Daily represented Hongkongers' core values such as the rule of law, freedom and the pursuit of democracy.
International Reaction
The case has drawn sharp international criticism. Former US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have both publicly raised Lai’s situation, and rights groups including Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the conviction as a major blow to press freedom. The European Union said the verdict was "emblematic of the erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong." Beijing and Hong Kong authorities reject that characterization, saying international criticism attempts to smear Hong Kong’s judicial system and that the case is not about press freedom.
Context And Penalties
Lai, who holds British citizenship, has been detained since 2020. Beijing imposed the national security law after the large and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019. Under the national security law, collusion offences "of a grave nature" carry penalties ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment; the colonial-era sedition offence cited by prosecutors carries a maximum sentence of two years.
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