Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai on Monday was sentenced to 20 years in prison in one of the most prominent prosecutions under a China-imposed national security law that has reshaped the city’s political landscape since 2020.
“Having stepped back and taking a global view of the total sentence for Lai’s serious and grave criminal conduct ... we are satisfied that the total sentence for Lai in the present case should be 20 years’ imprisonment,” the city’s High Court said in its ruling.
Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in December for collusion with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The 78-year-old has been in detention for more than five years while serving a separate prison term on fraud charges.
The 20-year sentence was the longest handed out under the national security law introduced in 2020, surpassing the 10-year term given to activist Benny Tai, a former law professor who was convicted of conspiring to subvert state power, in November 2024.
“A sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
