China critic and former media tycoon Jimmy Lai is sentenced to twenty years in a Hong Kong safety case

HONG KONG — Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and a fierce critic of Beijing, was sentenced on Monday to twenty years in jail within the longest punishment given to this point beneath a China-imposed nationwide safety regulation that has nearly silenced town’s dissent.

Lai, 78, was convicted in December of conspiring with others to collude with overseas forces to hazard nationwide safety, and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. The utmost penalty for his conviction was life imprisonment.

His co-defendants, six former workers of his Apple Day by day newspaper and two activists, obtained jail phrases of between 6 years and three months, and 10 years on collusion-related expenses.

Lai smiled and waved at his supporters when he arrived for the sentence. However earlier than he left the courtroom, he regarded severe, as some individuals within the public gallery cried. When requested about whether or not they would enchantment, his lawyer Robert Pang stated no remark.

Lai’s daughter says he’ll die ‘a martyr’ in jail

The democracy advocate’s arrest and trial have raised issues in regards to the decline of press freedom in what was as soon as an Asian bastion of media independence. The federal government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used information reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.

Lai was one of many first outstanding figures to be arrested beneath the safety regulation in 2020. Inside a 12 months, a few of Apple Day by day’s senior journalists additionally have been arrested and the newspaper shut down in June 2021.

Lai’s sentencing might heighten Beijing’s diplomatic tensions with overseas governments, which have criticized Lai’s conviction and sentencing.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who is predicted to go to China in April, stated he felt “so badly” after the decision and famous he spoke to Chinese language chief Xi Jinping about Lai and requested him “to consider his release.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s authorities additionally has referred to as for the discharge of Lai, who’s a British citizen. U.Okay. Overseas Secretary Yvette Cooper referred to as the prosecution “politically motivated,” saying the jail time period is tantamount to a life sentence. Australian Overseas Minister Penny Wong stated her authorities was gravely involved over the sentences.

In a press release, Lai’s son, Sebastien, stated the “draconian” jail time period was devastating for his household and life-threatening for his father. “It signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice,” he stated.

His sister Claire referred to as the sentence “heartbreakingly cruel” in the identical assertion. “If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars,” she stated.

Hong Kong chief John Lee stated Lai’s sentence demonstrated the rule of regulation, citing his severe crimes.

“It’s bringing great satisfaction to the people,” he stated in a press release.

Judges dominated Lai was the mastermind

Lai based Apple Day by day, a now-defunct newspaper recognized for its essential studies towards the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing. He was arrested in August 2020 beneath the safety regulation that was utilized in a yearslong crackdown on a lot of Hong Kong’s main activists.

Of their ruling, three government-vetted judges wrote that the start line of Lai’s sentence was elevated as a result of they discovered him to be the mastermind of the conspiracies. However in addition they diminished his penalty as a result of they accepted that Lai’s age, well being situation and solitary confinement would trigger his jail life to be extra burdensome than that of different inmates.

“Lai was no doubt the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged and therefore he warrants a heavier sentence,” they stated “As regards the others, it is difficult to distinguish their relative culpability.”

They took into consideration that Lai is serving a jail time period of 5 years and 9 months in a separate fraud case and dominated that 18 years of Lai’s sentence within the safety case ought to be served consecutively to that jail time period.

Urania Chiu, lecturer in regulation at Oxford Brookes College, stated the case is important for its broad building of seditious intent and utility of the time period “collusion with foreign forces” to sure actions by the media. The implication is especially alarming for journalists and people working in academia, she stated.

“Offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which often involves engagement with international platforms and audiences, may now easily be construed as ‘collusion,'” Chiu stated.

Lai has been in custody for greater than 5 years. In January, Pang stated Lai suffered well being points together with coronary heart palpitations, hypertension and diabetes. The prosecution stated a medical report famous Lai’s common well being situation remained steady. The federal government stated his solitary confinement was at Lai’s want.

Co-defendants get diminished sentences

The previous Apple Day by day staffers and activists concerned in Lai’s case entered responsible pleas, which helped cut back their sentences Monday. They earlier admitted to the prosecution cost that stated they conspired with Lai to request overseas forces to impose sanctions or blockades, or interact in different hostile actions towards Hong Kong or China.

The convicted journalists are writer Cheung Kim-hung, affiliate writer Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Regulation, government editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, government editor-in-chief accountable for English information Fung Wai-kong and editorial author Yeung Ching-kee. They obtained jail phrases ranging between six years and 9 months, to 10 years.

The 2 activists, Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, have been sentenced to 6 years and three months, and 7 years and three months respectively.

The penalties for Cheung, Chan and Yeung, alongside the 2 activists, have been diminished partly as a result of they served as prosecution witnesses and the judges stated their proof had “significantly” contributed to the conviction of Lai.

Earlier than dawn, dozens of individuals stood in line exterior the court docket constructing to safe a seat within the courtroom. One in all them was former Apple Day by day worker Tammy Cheung.

“Whatever happens, it’s an end — at least we’ll know the outcome,” Cheung stated earlier than the sentence was delivered.

Case thought of a blow to Hong Kong media

Lai based Apple Day by day in 1995, two years earlier than the previous British colony returned to Chinese language rule. Its closure in 2021 shocked the native press scene. Hong Kong ranked one hundred and fortieth out of 180 territories within the press-freedom index compiled by media freedom group Reporters With out Borders in 2025, removed from its 18th place in 2002.

Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police drive’s Nationwide Safety Division, welcomed the heavy sentence on Lai. “Obviously, he has done nothing good for Hong Kong that could serve as a basis for his mitigation,” he advised reporters.

The federal government stated it’ll confiscate belongings associated to Lai’s crime.

Human Rights Watch’s Asia Director Elaine Pearson stated the cruel 20-year-sentence is successfully a demise sentence, calling it merciless and unjust.