A Hong Kong court on Monday decided to sentence former pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, on charges of collusion with foreign powers and publishing inflammatory materials. Human Rights Watch described this sentence as a “death sentence,” and it came despite pressure exerted by London, Washington, and human rights defenders to release him.

Published on: 02/09/2026 - 08:11

On charges of collusion with foreign powers and publishing inflammatory materials, a Hong Kong court decided Monday to sentence former pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison. Lai, a businessman and founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was facing a life sentence.

Lai was convicted on December 15 of three charges after a trial that human rights advocates said marked the end of the freedom of the press long cherished on the island, which the United Kingdom returned to China in 1997.

Read also: Hong Kong: Repression in the name of law and order

"death sentence"

After the ruling was issued, human rights organizations expressed their dissatisfaction, and Human Rights Watch described it as a “death sentence,” while Amnesty International considered it an attack on freedom of expression.

Amnesty International said in a statement: “Jimmy Lai’s prison sentence is an attack on freedom of expression, and clearly embodies the systematic dismantling of rights that once defined Hong Kong.” Human Rights Watch considered that "the harsh 20-year prison sentence issued against 78-year-old Jimmy Lai is tantamount to a death sentence."

For its part, his family said that the sentence issued against him under the National Security Law was “harsh.” Lai's son, Sebastian, said in a statement issued by the family, "Sentencing my father to this harsh punishment is devastating to our family and threatens my father's life," while his daughter, Claire, described the sentence as "cruel and heartbreaking" given the deterioration of his health in prison, and if it is carried out, "he will die a martyr behind bars."

In turn, Taiwan condemned the punishment issued against Lai, saying that it creates a "chilling effect" across the border. The mainland affairs council on the self-governing island said China and Hong Kong had “brought media influence and international ties into the scope of national security measures, with the aim of creating a chilling effect across sectors and borders.”

This ruling came despite pressure exerted by London, Washington, and human rights defenders to release Jimmy Lai.

France 24/AFP

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