Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years in Hong Kong's Harshest National Security Crackdown — Family Says He Will 'Die a Martyr Behind Bars'
Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old British-Hong Kong media tycoon and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison — the longest punishment ever imposed under China's sweeping national security law. The sentence, handed down by three government-vetted judges at Hong Kong's High Court, was immediately condemned by human rights organizations, Western governments, and press freedom groups as what Human Rights Watch called "effectively a death sentence" for the aging publisher who has already spent more than five years behind bars. Lai was convicted in December 2025 on charges of conspiring to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious materials. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges. The maximum penalty was life imprisonment. His eight co-defendants — six former Apple Daily executives and two activists — received sentences ranging from six years and three months to 10 years after entering guilty pleas. The sentencing marks the culmination of a years-long prosecution that critics say represents the definitive end of Hong Kong's once-vibrant tradition of press freedom. The reaction was starkly divided. Lai's daughter Claire said the sentence was "heartbreakingly cruel" and that "if this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars." Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee called the sentencing "deeply gratifying," describing Lai's crimes as "heinous and evil in the extreme." Beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called the sentence "reasonable, legitimate, and legal," adding: "There is no room for argument."