China critic and former media tycoon Jimmy Lai is sentenced to 20 years
in a Hong Kong security case
[February 09, 2026]
By KANIS LEUNG
HONG KONG (AP) — Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media
tycoon and a fierce critic of Beijing, was sentenced on Monday to 20
years in prison in the longest punishment given so far under a
China-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the
city’s dissent.
Lai, 78, was convicted in December of conspiring with others to collude
with foreign forces to endanger national security, and conspiracy to
publish seditious articles. The maximum penalty for his conviction was
life imprisonment.
His co-defendants, six former employees of his Apple Daily newspaper and
two activists, received prison terms of between 6 years and 3 months,
and 10 years on collusion-related charges.
Lai smiled and waved at his supporters when he arrived for the sentence.
But before he left the courtroom, he looked serious, as some people in
the public gallery cried. When asked about whether they would appeal,
his lawyer Robert Pang said no comment.
Lai's daughter says he will die ‘a martyr’ in prison
The democracy advocate's arrest and trial have raised concerns about the
decline of press freedom in what was once an Asian bastion of media
independence. The government insists the case has nothing to do with a
free press, saying the defendants used news reporting as a pretext for
years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.
Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the
security law in 2020. Within a year, some of Apple Daily’s senior
journalists also were arrested and the newspaper shut down in June 2021.
Lai’s sentencing could heighten Beijing’s diplomatic tensions with
foreign governments, which have criticized Lai's conviction and
sentencing.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to visit China in April,
said he felt “so badly” after the verdict and noted he spoke to Chinese
leader Xi Jinping about Lai and asked him “to consider his release.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government also has called for the
release of Lai, who is a British citizen. U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette
Cooper called the prosecution “politically motivated," saying the prison
term is tantamount to a life sentence.
In a statement, Lai’s son, Sebastien, said the “draconian” prison term
was devastating for his family and life-threatening for his father. “It
signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the
end of justice,” he said.
His sister Claire called the sentence “heartbreakingly cruel” in the
same statement. “If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr
behind bars,” she said.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said Lai’s sentence demonstrated the rule of
law, citing his serious crimes.
“It’s bringing great satisfaction to the people,” he said in a
statement.
In Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Lai is a
Chinese citizen and called him a major planner and participant in a
series of anti-China destabilizing activities in Hong Kong. He urged
“relevant countries” to respect the rule of law in Hong Kong.
Judges ruled Lai was the mastermind
Lai founded Apple Daily, a now-defunct newspaper known for its critical
reports against the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing. He was
arrested in August 2020 under the security law that was used in a
yearslong crackdown on many of Hong Kong’s leading activists.
In their ruling, three government-vetted judges wrote that the starting
point of Lai’s sentence was increased because they found him to be the
mastermind of the conspiracies. But they also reduced his penalty
because they accepted that Lai’s age, health condition and solitary
confinement would cause his prison life to be more burdensome than that
of other inmates.
“Lai was no doubt the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged and
therefore he warrants a heavier sentence,” they said “As regards the
others, it is difficult to distinguish their relative culpability.”
[to top of second column]
|
Democracy advocate Jimmy Lai leaves the Hong Kong's Court of Final
Appeal in Hong Kong on Feb. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
They took into account that Lai is serving a prison term of five
years and nine months in a separate fraud case and ruled that 18
years of Lai’s sentence in the security case should be served
consecutively to that prison term.
Urania Chiu, lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University, said the
case is significant for its broad construction of seditious intent
and application of the term “collusion with foreign forces” to
certain activities by the media. The implication is particularly
alarming for journalists and those working in academia, she said.
“Offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which
often involves engagement with international platforms and
audiences, may now easily be construed as ‘collusion,’” Chiu said.
Lai has been in custody for more than five years. In January, Pang
said Lai suffered health issues including heart palpitations, high
blood pressure and diabetes. The prosecution said a medical report
noted Lai’s general health condition remained stable. The government
said his solitary confinement was at Lai's wish.
Co-defendants get reduced sentences
The former Apple Daily staffers and activists involved in Lai’s case
entered guilty pleas, which helped reduce their sentences Monday.
They earlier admitted to the prosecution charge that said they
conspired with Lai to request foreign forces to impose sanctions or
blockades, or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong
or China.
The convicted journalists are publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate
publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive
editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, executive editor-in-chief responsible
for English news Fung Wai-kong and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee.
They received prison terms ranging between six years and nine
months, to 10 years.
The two activists, Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, were sentenced to six
years and three months, and seven years and three months
respectively.
The penalties for Cheung, Chan and Yeung, alongside the two
activists, were reduced in part because they served as prosecution
witnesses and the judges said their evidence had “significantly”
contributed to the conviction of Lai.
Before sunrise, dozens of people stood in line outside the court
building to secure a seat in the courtroom. One of them was former
Apple Daily employee Tammy Cheung.
“Whatever happens, it’s an end — at least we’ll know the outcome,”
Cheung said before the sentence was delivered.
Case considered a blow to Hong Kong media
Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before the former British
colony returned to Chinese rule. Its closure in 2021 shocked the
local press scene. Hong Kong ranked 140th out of 180 territories in
the press-freedom index compiled by media freedom organization
Reporters Without Borders in 2025, far from its 18th place in 2002.
Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police force’s National
Security Department, welcomed the heavy sentence on Lai. “Obviously,
he has done nothing good for Hong Kong that could serve as a basis
for his mitigation,” he told reporters.
The government said it will confiscate assets related to Lai's
crime.
Human Rights Watch's Asia Director Elaine Pearson said the harsh
20-year-sentence is effectively a death sentence, calling it cruel
and unjust.
___
Associated Press writer Chan Ho-him contributed to this report
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
