A Hong Kong court has sentenced 78-year-old media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on charges of violating the national security law. This decision marks the culmination of a prolonged persecution of the founder of the opposition newspaper Apple Daily, who is considered the most prominent critic of the Beijing regime in the region. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
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Jimmy Lai was found guilty of national security crimes back in December 2025, and faced a life sentence. He was arrested in 2020 after the introduction of new legislation that effectively banned opposition activities. Over the years in custody, the elderly publisher's health has significantly deteriorated, which his relatives and international human rights defenders have repeatedly emphasized.
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Lai became the first and most prominent defendant in cases brought under the 2020 law. Before his arrest, he had built a successful business for decades, but became an active dissident after the Tiananmen Square events in 1989. His newspaper was a key platform for pro-democracy protests, which led to a harsh reaction from the authorities.
Global reaction to the dissident's sentence
Lai's trial became a marker of the complete loss of independence of Hong Kong's judicial system. The international community viewed this case as a test of human rights compliance, which the region's authorities openly failed. For many activists, a 20-year sentence for a 78-year-old man is equivalent to life imprisonment.
Despite international pressure, Beijing has demonstrated unwavering resolve in suppressing the opposition. The case of Jimmy Lai remains a central topic in discussions about freedom of speech in Asia, and his conviction effectively establishes a new political reality in Hong Kong, where criticism of the authorities is met with decades in prison.