Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, bringing to a close a protracted legal saga that has come to symbolize Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on the once-freewheeling financial hub.
The 78-year-old self-made billionaire is among the most prominent government critics to be prosecuted since Beijing imposed a far-reaching national security law on the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city in 2020.
The lengthy sentence — which means Lai will not be eligible for parole until his late 90s — is expected to intensify international pressure for the media mogul’s release in a landmark trial closely monitored by Western leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who previously pledged to “get him out.”
Trump is expected to visit China in the coming months for talks with President Xi Jinping, and Lai’s supporters are expected to urge him to raise the imprisoned tycoon’s case during the trip.
Lai’s outspoken criticism of Hong Kong’s eroding freedoms — including in meetings with senior US officials — along with his role as the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, a staunchly pro-democracy tabloid, had long made him a target of Beijing.
He was convicted in December on two national security charges and one sedition charge, concluding a legal battle that spanned several years.
On Monday, Lai appeared visibly slim and dressed in a white jacket as he listened to the sentence, offering a faint smile in court.
Before proceedings began, he clasped his hands in greeting toward the public gallery and turned to acknowledge six former Apple Daily colleagues who were also awaiting sentencing.
Those former colleagues were also sentenced to prison terms, ranging from six years and nine months to 10 years. Apple Daily and its affiliated companies were fined a total of 6 million Hong Kong dollars ($767,000).
Both the Chinese central government and Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly dismissed international criticism of Lai’s prosecution, rejecting claims that his imprisonment was politically motivated or represented an attack on press freedom.
Since its introduction, Beijing’s national security law has reshaped Hong Kong’s political landscape, with dozens of dissidents jailed, civil society groups and outspoken media outlets forced to shut down, and the city’s once-vibrant political scene sharply curtailed.
City and national officials say the measures have “restored stability” following mass anti-government protests in 2019, some of which turned violent.
Supporters began lining up outside the West Kowloon court complex days in advance, hoping to catch a final glimpse of Lai.
“He is the flag of Hong Kong,” Chan Chun-yee, 75, who arrived outside the court on Thursday, told CNN. “I don’t agree with everything he did but I aligned with his spirit and the things he pursued, such as freedom, democracy and justice.”
Another supporter, who gave his name only as Andy, said: “Lai and his colleagues deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Security was tightened around the court complex, with police erecting cordons and searching those waiting outside. Judges also warned members of the public not to disrupt court proceedings or risk being removed.
