A Hong Kong court on February 9 sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison under the city’s sweeping national security law, delivering one of the harshest penalties yet imposed on a prominent critic of Beijing and marking a decisive moment in the erosion of press freedom in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Lai, the founder and former publisher of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in December of conspiring to publish seditious materials and conspiring to “collude with a foreign country or external elements.” The charges stem from editorial decisions and political activities that prosecutors argued were designed to provoke international pressure against Hong Kong and China.

Judges described the foreign-collusion offenses as “grave” and portrayed Lai as the central figure orchestrating what they said was a sustained campaign to undermine national security. While the court acknowledged mitigating factors—including Lai’s age, reported health issues, and prolonged periods in solitary confinement—it concluded that these considerations did not outweigh the seriousness of the crimes.

The sentence significantly compounds Lai’s existing prison term. He is already serving a separate five-year, nine-month sentence for an unrelated fraud conviction. The court ordered that 18 years of the new sentence be served consecutively, effectively ensuring that the 77-year-old is likely to remain behind bars for the rest of his life.

For international media organizations and press freedom advocates, Lai’s sentencing is widely seen as a watershed moment that redefines the........

© Blitz