Hong Kong Court Imposes 20-Year Sentence on Jimmy Lai, Drawing Taiwan Condemnation | Penny Wang

A Hong Kong court on Monday sentenced Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, to 20 years in prison following his conviction last December on charges of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious material under Beijing's National Security Law.

The sentence was handed down by a panel of three national security judges appointed under the Beijing-imposed legislation. According toreporting by the BBC, the court said it was “not inclined” to reduce Lai's sentence on medical grounds, noting in its written ruling that “the general rule is that medical grounds will seldom, if ever, be a basis for reducing the sentence for crimes of gravity.”

Lai's defense had sought leniency based on his age and chronic health conditions, including hypertension and diabetes. He has been detained since December 31, 2020, much of that time in solitary confinement. The court rejected the arguments, concluding that his medical needs could be managed while in custody.

Lai, a British citizen, denied all charges in a trial that was repeatedly delayed for more than two years. Prosecutors accused him of using Apple Daily to promote foreign sanctions and undermine national security through its reporting and international connections, allegations stemming in part from the newspaper's coverage of the 2019 pro-democracy protests and its calls for international scrutiny of Beijing's policies toward Hong Kong.

Six former senior executives of Apple Dailywere sentenced alongside Lai after pleading guilty to related charges of “collusion with foreign forces.” Executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, and editorial writer Fung Wai-kong were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Publisher Cheung Kim-hung received six years and nine months, associate publisher Chan Pui-man seven years, and editorial author Yeung Ching-kee seven years and three months.

International rights and press freedom organizations sharply criticized the ruling. Human Rights Watch Asia Director Elaine Pearsondescribed the sentence as “cruel and profoundly unjust,” warning that it effectively amounts to a “death sentence” given Lai's age and deteriorating health. She said the case reflects Beijing's determination to silence independent journalism and suppress dissent.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called the decision “the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong.” CPJ Chief Executive Officer Jodie Ginsberg said the ruling demonstrated that the rule of law in the city had been “completely shattered.”

The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation also condemned the sentence. Its chairman, James Cunningham, a former U.S. consul general to Hong Kong, said the prosecution was “from the outset a perversion of the rule of law,” and urged the immediate release of Lai and his former colleagues.

From Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council issued astatement condemning the sentence and warning that it represents a serious violation of press freedom and basic human rights. The council said the case demonstrates how freedoms promised under the “one country, two systems” framework have been eroded, and urged the international community to remain vigilant against what it described as the export of authoritarian governance.

Lai's family has repeatedly raised concerns about his health during his prolonged detention. His son, Sebastien Lai, hascriticized Western governments for failing to take concrete action to secure his father's release, as international advocacy groups renew calls for sustained pressure to protect remaining civil liberties in Hong Kong.