Jimmy Lai, the outspoken pro-democracy media tycoon whose rise and fall have drawn attention to Hong Kong’s shrinking political freedoms, was convicted Dec. 15 in a landmark national security trial that could see him spend the rest of his life in prison.
Lai, 78, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was found guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious articles. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The verdict was delivered by three government-vetted judges in a non-jury trial, according to AP News.
The case is one of the most closely watched since China imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following months of massive pro-democracy protests the previous year. Governments and rights groups have viewed the trial as a key test of press freedom and judicial independence in the city.
Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, and other rights organizations said the ruling dealt a devastating blow to media freedom.
“It is not an individual who has been on trial — it is press freedom itself,” said Reporters Without Borders Director General Thibaut Bruttin, according to AP News.
A devout Catholic, Lai was arrested in August 2020 and has spent roughly five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement, where he was denied Communion. According to a report from NPR, Lai’s family members have shared how he has been sustained by his Catholic faith and the study of scripture during his time in solitary confinement.
Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone posted on X asking for prayers for Lai.
Prosecutors accused Lai of using Apple Daily and his international connections to call for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and China, including meetings with senior U.S. officials during the 2019 protests. Among those attending the verdict was Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, himself a prominent critic of Beijing, AP News reported.
In a lengthy verdict, judges said Lai played a leading role in efforts to undermine Beijing and ruled that his intent to destabilize the Chinese government continued even after the national security law took effect, AP News reported.
Lai’s family condemned the verdict as politically motivated and raised concerns about his deteriorating health in detention, as CatholicVote previously reported. Hong Kong authorities say he has received appropriate medical care.
“This verdict proves that the authorities still fear our father, even in his weakened state, for what he represents,” his daughter Claire Lai said in a statement. “We stand by his innocence and condemn this miscarriage of justice.”
The collusion charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Lai will be sentenced at a later date.
Lai’s conviction has drawn sharp criticism from Western governments, with the U.S., Britain and the European Union closely monitoring the case, according to AP News. The news outlet reported that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said securing Lai’s release is a priority for his government, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he raised the case directly with Chinese leaders.
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