Jimmy Lai jailing: Authorities hail 20-year prison term, as NGOs decry ‘effective death sentence’

2026-02-09 - 08:47

Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday morning following his conviction on collusion and sedition charges. Jimmy Lai in 2020. Photo: HKFP. The 78-year-old Apple Daily founder was found guilty in December 2025 of two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, and a third count of sedition under colonial-era legislation. He faced judges – handpicked to oversee national security cases – at West Kowloon Law Courts alongside eight other co-defendants. HKFP rounds up reactions. Click here for the full story. Local reactions: Hong Kong leader John Lee Lai Chee-ying has committed numerous heinous crimes, and his evil deeds were beyond measure. The severe sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment imposed on him manifests that the rule of law is upheld and justice is done, and also brings great relief to all. Lai Chee-ying had long used Apple Daily to poison the minds of our citizens, by inciting hatred, distorting facts, deliberately stirring up social antagonism and glorifying violence. Regina Ip of the Pro-Beijing New People’s Party “[His] acts caused significant harm to the country and to Hong Kong, endangering national security. The court noted that around 2019, Jimmy Lai held activities... locally and abroad. Because he is so influential, the damage was grave. I agree with the court’s decision. Jimmy Lai’s crimes were serious, and his sentence should be no less than 10 years.” Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the police’s National Security Department meets the press on December 15, 2025, after media mogul Jimmy Lai was found guilty of foreign collusion and sedition. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the police National Security Department “Obviously, he has done nothing good for Hong Kong that could serve as a basis for his mitigation... As for whether he will live out the rest of his years behind bars, none of us would know,” he said. “But what I can say is that his sentence is certainly deserved.” Pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong party “Jimmy Lai was jailed for 20 years. The evidence is resounding and his punishment is well-deserved. The focus of Lai’s case is how he colluded with American and Western forces to endanger national security. During the trial, large amounts of evidence showed Lai’s many crimes... including using a media platform to urge foreign powers to intervene in Hong Kong affairs, sanction Chinese and Hong Kong officials, and even bribing former high-ranking officials to advance his so-called “anti-China master plan.” Lin Jian, spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry “[Lai was] a key planner and participant in a series of anti-China and disruptive activities in Hong Kong... This is reasonable, legitimate, and legal; there is no room for argument.” Lai family reactions: Lai’s daughter Claire “This is a heartbreakingly cruel sentence. Over the last five years, I have watched my father’s health deteriorate dramatically and the conditions he’s kept in go from bad to worse. If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars.” Court-watchers and police outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on February 9, 2026, ahead of the sentencing of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Lai’s son Sebastian “Sentencing my father to this draconian prison sentence is devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father.” NGO reactions: Director General of NGO Reporters Without Borders Thibaut Bruttin “This court decision underscores the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong and the authorities’ profound contempt for independent journalism... Democracies, such as the UK and the US, must stop prioritising the normalisation of relations with China and instead exert pressure on the Chinese regime and Hong Kong authorities to ensure that Jimmy Lai and all other journalists are released from prison. We have already witnessed press freedom defender Liu Xiaobo die in prison due to insufficient international pressure. We cannot allow Jimmy Lai to suffer a similar fate. His sentence must not become a death sentence.” NGO Committee to Protect Journalists CEO Jodie Ginsberg “The rule of law has been completely shattered in Hong Kong... Today’s egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong. The international community must step up its pressure to free Jimmy Lai if we want press freedom to be respected anywhere in the world.” Committee to Protect Journalists headquarters in New York. Photo: HKFP/Tom Grundy. Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch “The harsh 20-year sentence against 78-year-old Jimmy Lai is effectively a death sentence. A sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust. Lai’s years of persecution show the Chinese government’s determination to crush independent journalism and silence anyone who dares to criticize the Communist Party.” Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks “With this ruling we see yet again how Hong Kong’s National Security Law is being used to distort fundamental freedoms into criminal acts. Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment is a cold-blooded attack of freedom of expression that epitomizes the systematic dismantling of rights that once defined Hong Kong. Jimmy Lai is a prisoner of conscience who should never have spent a single day behind bars. The Hong Kong authorities must immediately and unconditionally release him.” NGO Hong Kong Media Overseas “We believe that this trial, conducted under so-called ‘national security,’ represents a blatant political purge of journalists and constitutes a serious and ongoing assault on the foundations of press freedom and the rule of law.... It must be emphasised that journalism is, by its nature, cross-regional and transnational. The gathering, verification, exchange, and dissemination of information inevitably involve international contact and external communication. Treating these normal journalistic activities as criminal risks not only departs from international standards on press freedom, but also creates a chilling effect across the entire media sector, forcing self-censorship and undermining society’s ability to access diverse and comprehensive information.” Diplomatic reactions: UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. File photo: Yvette Cooper, via X. “For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family,” she added. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council “[China and Hong Kong] have brought media influence and international connections within the scope of national security measures, aiming to create a chilling effect across sectors and borders.” Rick Scott, US Republican Senator “Tonight, my friend Jimmy Lai was unjustly sentenced by Communist China to 20 years in prison for the ‘crime’ of daring to think differently from the CCP and refusing to use his newspaper to spread CCP propaganda... We will not forget what Xi and his thugs have done to Jimmy and so many political prisoners. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! The world is watching, and we know the truth: Jimmy Lai is innocent, and he should be home with his family tonight, not in the hands of Xi’s thuggish regime.” More to follow, refresh for updates