On a winter Monday in Hong Kong, a courtroom filled with people who had camped overnight for a seat witnessed a verdict that many see as the closing of a long chapter for a city's press and political voice. Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily and a longtime critic of Beijing, was found guilty of collusion with foreign forces and of conspiring to publish seditious material, under the national security law imposed after the 2019 protests. Those who champion him see a defender of freedom; authorities see a figure who sought outside help against the state, and the question of which account histo
Hong Kong Court Convicts Jimmy Lai in Landmark National Security Trial; Sentencing Expected Next Year
Lai, 78, has spent more than five years in jail, including over 1,800 days in solitary confinement, and his family says his health, including diabetes and high blood pressure, has worsened.
A year that all but erased Hong Kong's democratic opposition
Mark
Why does this verdict matter beyond Lai himself?
Mimi
It's the highest-profile case under the national security law, and it's been watched as a test of Hong Kong's judicial independence. Lai is also the founder of Apple Daily, so a newspaper is part of the story.
Luke
Careful with "test." That's how critics and outside governments frame it. The Hong Kong and Chinese governments say the trial was fair and just.
Mark
What exactly was he convicted of?
Mimi
Two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He pleaded not guilty to all three.
Luke
And the life sentence is a possible maximum, not a prediction. Sentencing hasn't happened.
Mark
What's the human side?
Mimi
He's 78, has spent five years in jail, and his family says he's had more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement with worsening health.
Luke
That health account comes from his family. The reporting doesn't give an independent medical assessment.
Mark
And the diplomacy?
Mimi
Trump raised the case with Xi in October, and Britain demanded his release. China's foreign ministry pushed back on the criticism.
Luke
What Trump can actually do is unknown. He said he'd do his utmost, but nothing concrete is reported.
O Pulso
- A 78-year-old media figure sat in a packed courtroom as the High Court convicted him on two collusion counts and one seditious publication count.
- Governments, rights groups and press advocates condemned the verdict, with Britain demanding his immediate release and the U.S. president having pressed his case with Beijing.
- Hong Kong officials welcomed the ruling as proof of judicial independence, while Beijing branded him a pawn of anti-China forces.
- A pre-sentencing hearing on January 12 gives Lai a chance to plead for leniency, and his lawyer says any appeal decision waits until after sentencing.
- His family reports worsening diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems after more than five years in jail, including over 1,800 days in solitary confinement.
On a winter Monday in Hong Kong, a courtroom filled with people who had camped overnight for a seat witnessed a verdict that many see as the closing of a long chapter for a city's press and political voice. Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily and a longtime critic of Beijing, was found guilty of collusion with foreign forces and of conspiring to publish seditious material, under the national security law imposed after the 2019 protests. Those who champion him see a defender of freedom; authorities see a figure who sought outside help against the state, and the question of which account history will keep remains open. What comes next is a sentencing process that may run into next year, with a possible life term hanging over a 78-year-old man already long in custody.
By Monday morning, a queue more than a block long had formed outside Hong Kong's High Court, with some people sleeping in camping gear just for a chance to watch the verdict in the trial of Jimmy Lai. Inside, the 78-year-old tycoon sat with his arms folded in a pale green jumper and grey jacket as the three judges found him guilty of two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiring to publish seditious material. He had pleaded not guilty to all of them. It is the most high-profile prosecution yet under the national security law Beijing imposed after the 2019 pro-democracy protests, and the collusion charge carries a possible life sentence.
Lai founded Apple Daily, which has since been shut down, and was one of the most prominent critics of the Communist Party. His supporters see a freedom fighter. Beijing sees a mastermind of the protests who lobbied for foreign sanctions. He has already spent five years in jail, and his family says his health has declined after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement.
Hong Kong's leaders welcomed the outcome, insisting the judiciary is independent and that no freedom is absolute when national security is at stake. Abroad, Britain demanded his immediate release, press advocates called the conviction a sham, and China's foreign ministry rejected what it called smears against the city's justice system.
The next step is a pre-sentencing hearing on January 12, where Lai can plead for leniency. Sentencing is expected next year, and his decision on an appeal will follow. The case may also become a new diplomatic flashpoint with Washington and London, at a moment when Hong Kong's democratic opposition has largely vanished.
By the time Hong Kong's High Court convened on Monday, a queue more than a block long had been forming outside overnight, some people carrying camping gear, all hoping for a seat at the verdict in the trial of Jimmy Lai. Police monitored the area around the building. Inside a packed courtroom, the 78-year-old tycoon sat in a pale green jumper and grey jacket, arms folded, as the court found him guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.
Lai was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He had pleaded not guilty to all of them. The case is the highest-profile prosecution yet under the national security law that Beijing imposed after the 2019 pro-democracy protests, and the collusion charge carries a possible sentence of life in prison. The three judges were Esther Toh, Alex Lee and Susana D'Almada Remedios. Toh, speaking for the court, said there was no doubt that Lai had harboured resentment and hatred toward China for many of his adult years.
Lai founded Apple Daily, the newspaper that has since been shut down, and has been one of the most prominent critics of the Communist Party leadership. His supporters regard him as a freedom fighter. Beijing sees him as a mastermind of the protests and a conspirator who lobbied for U.S. sanctions against Hong Kong and the mainland. He has already spent five years in jail. His family says his health has deteriorated after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, and that he has diabetes, high blood pressure and heart palpitations.
What comes next is procedural. A pre-sentencing hearing, at which Lai can plead for leniency, is set for January 12, with sentencing expected next year. His lawyer, Steven Kwan, said Lai will decide whether to appeal only after he is sentenced.
Officials in Hong Kong welcomed the outcome. Chief Executive John Lee and national security police chief Steve Li both said so to reporters. Speaking at the airport before a regular trip to Beijing, Lee said the judiciary is confident and unafraid of intimidation and firmly discharges its duty to safeguard national security. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments maintain the trial was fair and just, that the law treats everyone equally, and that no freedom is absolute when national security is at stake. China's national security office in Hong Kong called Lai a pawn of external anti-China forces who attempted a colour revolution, and condemned what it described as political manipulation by a small number of Western politicians and anti-China media.
Criticism came quickly from abroad. Britain's foreign office condemned what it called a politically motivated prosecution and demanded his immediate release. U.S. President Donald Trump raised Lai's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October and has said he would do his utmost to save him. China's foreign ministry said it deplores countries smearing Hong Kong's justice system and urged respect for its sovereignty. Beh Lih Yi, Asia-Pacific director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, called it a sham conviction and a disgraceful act of persecution, saying Lai's only crime is running a newspaper and defending democracy. Amnesty International and activists who fled Hong Kong fearing prosecution also condemned the verdict.
The ruling lands at a fraught time. The Democratic Party voted on Sunday to disband, capping a year in which Hong Kong's democratic opposition has all but vanished under pressure from Beijing. Residents are also still mourning a fire last month that killed at least 160 people in a residential complex, among the worst such blazes globally in recent years. Authorities have warned they will act against anyone who tries to use the fire to plunge the city back into the chaos of 2019.
The January 12 hearing is the next marker, followed by sentencing and Lai's decision on an appeal. The verdict may also become a fresh diplomatic flashpoint with Washington and London.
Citações Notáveis
Jimmy Lai's only crime is running a newspaper and defending democracy.— Beh Lih Yi, Committee to Protect Journalists
The judiciary is confident and unafraid of any intimidation and firmly discharges its responsibility to safeguard national security.— John Lee, Hong Kong leader
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Crime & Justice