Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, 78, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday for national security offences, in a case widely condemned by rights groups as “effectively a death sentence” and a stark blow to press freedom in the city.
Lai, a British citizen and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was convicted in December of urging foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and publishing “seditious” articles. Two years of his sentence will overlap with his existing prison term, meaning he faces 18 additional years behind bars.
Rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called the ruling “cruel and profoundly unjust,” warning it signals the shrinking space for press freedom in Hong Kong. Supporters and family members expressed grave concern for Lai’s health, calling the sentence “heartbreakingly cruel” and life-threatening.
Lai has been imprisoned since 2020 and was previously held in solitary confinement at his request. Apple Daily, his pro-democracy newspaper, was forced to close in 2021 following police raids.
Eight other former executives of the newspaper received sentences of up to 10 years.
International reactions included calls from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump, and Taiwan for Lai’s release, while Beijing defended the ruling as “reasonable, legitimate and legal.”
The case underscores the ongoing crackdown under the 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing, which has led to hundreds of arrests and convictions in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
