Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Convicted Under National Security Law, Could Face Life Imprisonment

Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty on two charges under the national security law and a lesser charge of sedition, concluding a two-year trial widely seen as a barometer of the city’s shrinking civil liberties under Beijing’s rule.

High-Profile Critic of Beijing

Lai, 78, a self-made billionaire, is among the most prominent critics of the Chinese government to be prosecuted under the sweeping national security law imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 after months of large and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.

He founded Apple Daily, a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid known for its sharp criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, before the newspaper was forced to shut down in 2021.

Judges Cite ‘Resentment and Hatred’

Delivering the verdict on Monday, the judges said there was “no doubt (Lai) had harbored his resentment and hatred toward the PRC (People’s Republic of China) for many of his adult years.”

They pointed to Lai’s lobbying of US politicians during President Donald Trump’s first term as evidence of sedition and collusion with foreign forces. This included meetings with then Vice President Mike Pence and then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as well as attempts to meet Trump himself.

“We are satisfied (Lai) was the mastermind in the conspiracies” outlined in all three charges, the judges said, adding that the evidence showed his “only intent … was to seek the downfall of the (Chinese Communist Party).”

Life Sentence Possible

Collusion with foreign forces is punishable by life imprisonment under the national security law. The judges said the date of sentencing would be announced later.

They had earlier instructed those present in the courtroom to maintain “absolute silence” as the verdict was read out.

Courtroom Scenes

Lai appeared calm during the proceedings, waving to his wife and son at the start of the hearing. He did not react when the verdict was delivered, but removed his glasses and wiped his face before being led out of the courtroom.

Prosecution Claims and Previous Conviction

Prosecutors argued that Lai used Apple Daily to call for sanctions against Hong Kong and China during the 2019 protests and after the security law took effect the following year. Lai pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

He was arrested under the national security law in late 2020 and has spent more than 1,800 days in a maximum-security prison, much of it in solitary confinement. In 2022, he was sentenced to five years and nine months in jail on separate fraud charges.

Global Attention on the Case

The case has drawn close international scrutiny, including from US President Donald Trump, who had previously said he would “get him out.”