Hong Kong jails media tycoon Jimmy Lai under security law

Monday 09 February 2026 - 07:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Hong Kong jails media tycoon Jimmy Lai under security law

A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to a total of 20 years in prison under the national security law imposed by Beijing, the harshest punishment handed down since the legislation came into force. The ruling has intensified global criticism and deepened concerns about the erosion of press freedom in the former British colony.

A panel of three government-appointed judges convicted the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily on charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious material. The court ordered that 18 years of the sentence be served consecutively to an existing fraud conviction, raising the prospect that Lai could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The verdict prompted swift reactions from Western governments and rights groups. United States President Donald Trump said he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to consider Lai’s release, citing his age and poor health. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for Lai to be freed on humanitarian grounds amid reports that his physical condition has deteriorated in detention.

Britain’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned what she described as a politically motivated prosecution, summoned China’s ambassador, and demanded Lai’s immediate release. The European Union warned that a lengthy prison term would carry serious consequences for relations with Beijing. Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, defended the judgment, saying it upheld the rule of law and safeguarded the city’s core values, while Chinese officials dismissed foreign criticism as interference in domestic affairs.

The case marks the culmination of nearly five years of legal action against Lai, who was first arrested in August 2020 following mass pro-democracy protests the previous year. Prosecutors argued that Apple Daily had been used to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China. Press freedom advocates say the outcome delivers a decisive blow to independent journalism in the city. Apple Daily, once among Hong Kong’s most widely read newspapers, shut down in June 2021 after authorities froze its assets and detained senior executives.

Lai’s family has raised alarms over his health in prison, pointing to significant weight loss, heart palpitations, and what they describe as inadequate medical care. His son, Sebastien Lai, has warned that his father could become a symbol of the pro-democracy movement if he were to die in custody.