Hong Kong former media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious material, in a landmark national security case that authorities say underscores the city’s determination to safeguard sovereignty and stability.
A panel of three High Court judges delivered the sentence at West Kowloon Court on Monday, according to multiple media reports. It follows Lai’s conviction in December on two counts of conspiracy to collude with external forces and one count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid will be eligible for release in 2044 at the earliest, subject to any reduction for good behaviour, raising the possibility that he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
The court found that Lai had used his media platform and international connections to lobby foreign politicians and governments to impose sanctions and other measures against China and Hong Kong. Judges described the case as one of “grave” seriousness, saying Lai played an “essential and leading” role in organising and directing a long-running campaign that sought to foster foreign intervention in China’s internal affairs.
Prosecutors presented articles, opinion pieces and interviews published by Apple Daily, as well as records of meetings with overseas politicians, as evidence that Lai and his associates aimed to undermine national security under the guise of “international advocacy.”
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The court ruled that these activities went far beyond normal news reporting or commentary, amounting instead to an organised effort to solicit foreign interference and encourage hostility toward the central and SAR governments.
Six former Apple Daily executives who earlier pleaded guilty to similar charges were also jailed, receiving sentences of between nearly seven and 10 years. Apple Daily ceased operations in 2021 after the authorities froze its assets and arrested senior staff under the National Security Law.
Central government and SAR authorities have welcomed the ruling, saying it demonstrates that Hong Kong’s courts handle national security cases in accordance with the law and based on evidence. China’s national security office in Hong Kong has previously labelled Lai a “puppet” of external forces who sought to spark a “colour revolution” in the city.
While some Western governments and organisations have criticised the sentence, Beijing and Hong Kong officials have rejected those comments as interference, stressing that no individual is above the law and that safeguarding national security is a bottom line for the “one country, two systems” framework. The case is widely seen in China as a warning that colluding with foreign governments and organisations to undermine the country’s interests will carry serious legal consequences.
