Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty Monday on two national security charges and a sedition offense, capping a landmark trial that has become a symbol of the city’s eroding freedoms under Beijing’s rule. The 78-year-old founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper now faces the possibility of life imprisonment.
The verdict followed a two-year trial closely watched by foreign governments, press freedom advocates, and human rights groups. Lai had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Judges said sentencing would be scheduled at a later date, but collusion with foreign forces carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Prosecutors accused Lai of using Apple Daily to encourage sanctions against Hong Kong and China during and after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. They also pointed to his lobbying of U.S. officials during Donald Trump’s first term, private messages with activists, and a 2020 opinion article urging international pressure on Beijing. Judges said the evidence showed Lai acted as the “mastermind” behind efforts to undermine the Chinese Communist Party.
In their ruling, the court said Lai harbored long-standing hostility toward Beijing and intended to provoke foreign interference. The judges compared his actions to an American seeking Russian help to topple the U.S. government. Lai listened calmly as the verdict was read, briefly greeting family members before being led out of court.
Lai is among the most prominent figures charged under the national security law imposed in 2020 after mass protests shook the city. Authorities say the law restored order. Critics argue it crushed dissent, silenced independent media, and dismantled civil society, replacing Hong Kong’s open environment with rule by “patriots only.”
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the verdict as politically motivated and said the UK had summoned China’s ambassador to protest. Lai, a British citizen, has long been at the center of diplomatic friction. His son, Sebastian Lai, urged London to condition closer ties with Beijing on his father’s release, citing deteriorating health.
Lai has spent more than 1,800 days in a maximum-security prison, much of it in solitary confinement. In 2022, he was sentenced to nearly six years on a separate fraud case. His family says his health has declined, citing diabetes and cardiac symptoms, though Hong Kong authorities insist he has received proper medical care.
International reaction was swift. China’s foreign ministry said Beijing fully supports Hong Kong in enforcing national security laws, while city officials warned foreign governments against interfering in judicial matters. Supporters gathered outside court expressed despair but little surprise, saying faith in Hong Kong’s justice system has faded.
Once a factory laborer who rose to become a billionaire publisher, Lai built Apple Daily into a loud voice for democracy. His conviction now marks one of the most consequential moments yet in Hong Kong’s political transformation.
