A Hong Kong court has sentenced 78‑year‑old media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison. Lai had already been found guilty in December for “violations of national security” but the length of the sentence was only disclosed now. He has been in custody without interruption since the end of 2020.
Lai, who also holds a British passport, is known as one of Beijing’s fiercest critics and a leading advocate for democratic rights in Hong Kong. Under the city’s National Security Law, introduced in 2020, he is the most prominent defendant to have been tried. The 20‑year penalty is the harshest imposed under this new legislation.
The sentencing comes after Lai’s newspaper, Apple Daily, was frequently used as a pro‑democracy protest platform. Additionally, six former executives of the publication were sentenced on Monday to prison terms ranging from six to ten years.