Prominent China critic handed long jail sentence, may never walk free

Monday, 9 February 2026 15:35

"Today's egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong."

One of China's most vocal critics has been sentenced to 20 years in jail under the national security law imposed on Hong Kong which has virtually silenced any dissent against Beijing in the city.

Media mogul and businessman Jimmy Lai, 78, has been behind bars since 2020 after being arrested under laws drafted into Hong Kong and China in the aftermath of widespread protests on the island in 2019.

Lai was the owner of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper that published several critical reports of China.

Jimmy Lai could spend the rest of his life in prison due to his age and ill health.

Lai was convicted in December of various offences, including conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security, and conspiracy to publish seditious articles.

He was spared a life sentence in name by the three judges, but given his advanced age and health issues, he may well spend the rest of his life in prison regardless.

His co-defendants, six former employees at Apple Daily and two activists, were also handed prison terms ranging from 6 years and 3 months, to 10 years.

FILE - Hong Kong publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, right, walks through the Stanley prison in Hong Kong, Friday, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)

Lai's sentencing could heighten Beijing's diplomatic tensions with foreign governments. His conviction has drawn criticism from the USA and the UK.

President Donald Trump said he felt "so badly" after the verdict and noted he spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about Lai and "asked to consider his release".

The UK government has also called for the release of Lai, who is a British citizen.

Apple Daily was shut down in June 2021, with the final edition selling over a million copies, with the decline of the newspaper highlighting how press freedom has been dented in Hong Kong.

Apple Daily published its final edition in 2021.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the sentencing had destroyed the rule of law in Hong Kong.

"Today's egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong," CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said. In a statement released after Lai's sentencing.

Several Australians have also been imprisoned under the National Security Law, including Gordon Ng.

He was arrested in 2021 for his role in an unofficial primary election, and is serving a seven-year prison sentence.

Reported with Associated Press

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