Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in jail under Beijing’s sweeping national security law, in a verdict that press and rights groups described as “cruel and profoundly unjust”.

The sentence on Monday ends Hong Kong’s most high-profile national security hearing and a legal saga spanning almost five years.
Lai, the founder ⁠of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was first arrested in August 2020 and was found guilty late last year on two counts of foreign collusion and one count of seditious publication.

Lai’s sentence of 20 years was within the most severe penalty “band” of 10 years to life imprisonment for offences of a “grave nature”.

The Hong Kong court said Lai’s sentence was enhanced by the fact that he was the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.

The 78-year-old, who is also a citizen of the United Kingdom, has denied all the charges against him, saying in court that he is a “political prisoner” facing persecution from Beijing.
Given his age, the prison term could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Lai’s family, lawyer, supporters and former colleagues have warned that he could die in prison, as he suffers from health conditions, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure.

Before Lai left the courtroom, he looked serious, as some people in the public gallery cried.