Hong Kong Catholic Activist Jimmy Lai Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison
Catholic pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday to 20 years behind bars in one of the most prominent prosecutions under a China-imposed national security law that has reshaped Hong Kong’s political landscape.
“Having stepped back and taking a global view of the total sentence for Lai’s serious and grave criminal conduct ... we are satisfied that the total sentence for Lai in the present case should be 20 years’ imprisonment,” the city’s High Court said in its ruling.
Lai, 78, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted this past December for collusion with foreign forces, endangering national security and conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
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Lai was among the first prominent figures arrested in 2020 under the security law that the Chinese government implemented in Hong Kong following widespread pro-democracy protests the previous year.
“A sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
The media tycoon, who has been jailed for more than five years while serving a separate prison term on fraud charges, now faces what his son said is “a life sentence.”
Lai's son Sebastien told the BBC the move was “basically a death sentence” and that he was being punished for defending “the freedoms of Hong Kong.”
The 20-year sentence was the longest handed out under the national security law introduced by China’s communist regime in 2020 — far surpassing the 10-year term given to activist Benny Tai, a former law professor convicted of conspiring to subvert state power, in 2024.
Lai’s newspaper was closed in June 2021 after Chinese authorities arrested its employees and froze the company’s assets, ending a 26-year run.
Six other newspaper employees were also sentenced to prison terms on Monday, including editor-in-chief Law Wai-kwong, executive editor Lam Man-chung and its editorial writer Fung Wai-kong
The case has drawn international attention and is seen as a sign of shrinking space for dissent in what was once viewed as the bastion of religious and press freedom.
Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said during a news briefing that Lai’s case was an internal matter.
“We urge relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty and abide by the rule of law in Hong Kong,” he said. “They must not make irresponsible remarks about [Hong Kong’s legal proceedings].”
Clemente Lisi serves as executive editor at Religion Unplugged.