Jimmy Lai To Be Sentenced After Landmark National Security Conviction in Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily and a prominent critic of Beijing, is due to be sentenced Monday after his December conviction under Hong Kong’s national security law. The ruling, in one of the most high-profile cases brought since the law took effect in 2020, has intensified concerns about press freedom and the future of dissent in the city.

Verdict and Charges

In December, a panel of three government-appointed judges convicted Lai of conspiring to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and of conspiracy to publish seditious articles. Lai has pleaded not guilty to the charges; under the security law he faces a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Prosecutors said he and others solicited foreign powers to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against Hong Kong or China.

Trial Details

The trial ran for 156 days. Lai testified in his own defense for 52 days, arguing he did not solicit foreign sanctions after the security law was enacted. The judges concluded Lai was the principal architect of the alleged conspiracies, citing what they described as repeated invitations to foreign governments to intervene in China under the guise of helping Hong Kong residents.

Co-Defendants and Pleas

Several former Apple Daily journalists and two activists pleaded guilty during the proceedings and have cooperated with the prosecution. Those convicted include publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editors Lam Man-chung and Fung Wai-kong, and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee. Activists Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah also pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution; their guilty pleas could result in reduced sentences.

Health, Detention and Existing Sentences

Lai has been detained for more than five years and is already serving an earlier six-year sentence on separate fraud convictions. His legal team has raised his age and medical conditions — including reported heart palpitations, high blood pressure and diabetes — as mitigating factors ahead of sentencing. Authorities have said medical reports showed his general health to be stable.

FILE - Hong Kong publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, right, walks through the Stanley prison in Hong Kong, Friday, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Impact on Media Freedom

Apple Daily, launched by Lai in 1995, built a large readership for its investigative reporting and outspoken pro-democracy stance. Police raids, asset freezes and prosecutions forced the paper to close in June 2021; its final edition sold about one million copies. Observers and press freedom groups say the convictions and the broad application of terms such as "collusion with foreign forces" carry chilling implications for journalists, academics and civil society.

“Offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which often involves engagement with international platforms and audiences, may now easily be construed as ‘collusion,’”

said Urania Chiu, a law lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, summarizing concerns about the case’s legal precedent.

Public Reaction and Diplomacy

The verdict has drawn international criticism. U.S. officials and British leaders have called attention to the case; public figures including former President Donald Trump also commented, urging consideration for Lai’s release. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has asked for clemency for Lai, who holds British citizenship. Lai’s daughter, Claire, urged authorities for mercy and said the family would "never stop fighting until he is free."

Civic Response

Dozens queued before dawn outside the courthouse hoping to attend the sentencing hearing. Former Apple Daily staff and supporters said they were there to offer moral and spiritual support and expressed hope that defendants might be reunited with family members before Lunar New Year.

Broader Context

Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index has recorded a sharp decline in Hong Kong’s ranking since the security law’s introduction, reflecting concerns among international press freedom monitors about the shrinking civic space and the risks faced by journalists and media organizations.

What Happens Next: Sentencing is expected to be handed down Monday. Observers say the decision will be watched closely for its legal reasoning and its implications for media, civil society and international relations.