Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty on two national security charges and one lesser charge of sedition after a closely watched trial that lasted nearly two years. The verdict is seen as a significant moment in assessing the state of civil liberties in Hong Kong under Beijing’s rule.
Lai, 78, is a prominent critic of the Chinese government and one of the most high-profile figures charged under the national security law imposed in 2020 following large pro-democracy protests. He is the founder of Apple Daily, a strongly pro-democracy newspaper that was forced to shut down in 2021.
In delivering the verdict, judges said Lai had long held resentment toward the People’s Republic of China and described him as the mastermind behind the alleged conspiracies. The court pointed to his lobbying of US politicians during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, including meetings with senior American officials, as evidence of collusion with foreign forces and sedition.
Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors argued he used Apple Daily to call for sanctions against Hong Kong and China during and after the 2019 protests.
He now faces the possibility of life imprisonment, the maximum penalty for collusion under the security law. The court said sentencing will be announced at a later date. Lai has already spent over 1,800 days in prison and is serving a separate sentence for fraud imposed in 2022.
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