Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Found Guilty, Faces Life Senten

Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Found Guilty, Faces Life Sentence

 

 

HONG KONG — Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty on two national security charges and a lesser sedition charge, capping a landmark two-year trial widely seen as a barometer of the city’s eroding freedoms under Beijing’s rule.

 

Lai, 78, a self-made billionaire and one of Beijing’s most prominent critics, now faces a possible life sentence under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, imposed by China in 2020 after months of mass pro-democracy protests.

 

The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid shuttered in 2021, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Judges said sentencing would be scheduled at a later date. Under the law, collusion with foreign forces carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

 

In their ruling, judges said there was “no doubt” that Lai had harbored long-standing “resentment and hatred” toward the People’s Republic of China, concluding that he was the “mastermind” behind the alleged conspiracies. They said the evidence showed his “only intent” was to seek the downfall of the Chinese Communist Party.

 

The court cited Lai’s lobbying of U.S. politicians during Donald Trump’s first term — much of it before the national security law took effect — including meetings with then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Judges also pointed to Lai’s communications with fellow activists, internal discussions at Apple Daily, and a May 2020 New York Times opinion article in which he suggested punitive measures against China over Hong Kong.

 

Comparing Lai’s actions to an American seeking Russian help to undermine the U.S. government, the judges said his appeals to foreign governments amounted to sedition and collusion.

 

Inside the courtroom, Lai appeared calm, waving to his wife and son before the verdict was read. He did not speak as the ruling was delivered, quietly removing his glasses and wiping his face before being led away. Supporters, many of whom queued overnight for seats, reacted with sadness but little surprise, saying faith in Hong Kong’s judicial independence had largely evaporated.

 

Lai has been jailed since late 2020 and has spent more than 1,800 days in custody, much of it in solitary confinement. In 2022, he received an additional five years and nine months on unrelated fraud charges.

 

Born in mainland China, Lai arrived in Hong Kong as a child refugee and rose from factory laborer to clothing magnate before turning to media. Apple Daily, launched in 1995 ahead of the city’s handover to China, became a central platform for pro-democracy voices.

 

Beijing and Hong Kong officials say the security law has “restored stability.” Critics argue it has crushed dissent, dismantled civil society, and transformed the city into one governed by “patriots only.”

 

Key Takeaways

• Jimmy Lai was convicted on national security and sedition charges after a two-year trial and could face life in prison.

• The case is seen as a defining test of Hong Kong’s freedoms under Beijing’s national security law.

• Judges cited Lai’s foreign lobbying and media role as evidence of collusion and sedition.

 

SOURCE: CNN