Jimmy Lai founded Apple Daily, a newspaper that often criticised the Hong Kong government and China’s ruling Communist Party. Lai has also been a vocal critic of Beijing for many years.
A Hong Kong court found 78-year-old Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing guilty in a major national security case. The judges ruled that Lai worked with others to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious content, actions they said threatened China’s national security. Lai denied all the charges against him.
Lai founded Apple Daily, a newspaper that often criticised the Hong Kong government and China’s ruling Communist Party. Lai has also been a vocal critic of Beijing for many years. The trial was held without a jury and was overseen by three judges approved by the government.
Lai’s trial has drawn global attention. Governments and observers in the United States, Britain and the European Union have closely followed the case, seeing it as a test of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
What did the judges say?
Reading from a lengthy written judgment, Judge Esther Toh said the court believed Lai had spent years trying to get foreign support to weaken the Chinese government. The judges described him as the main planner behind the actions and said his goal was to challenge the ruling Communist Party. The court said there was clear evidence showing Lai’s long-standing anger towards China.
Lai’s wife and son were present when the verdict was read, along with Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen. Lai briefly acknowledged his family before being taken out of the courtroom by guards.
Possible life sentence
Lai now faces the possibility of life in prison. Under Hong Kong’s national security law, the charge of colluding with foreign forces can carry a sentence ranging from three years to life imprisonment, depending on the severity of the crime.
He was also convicted of publishing seditious material, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail. A separate hearing next month will decide the length of his sentence.
Apple Daily shut down
Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 after police raided its offices, arrested senior staff, and froze the newspaper’s assets. Authorities accused the paper of encouraging foreign governments to take action against Hong Kong and China.
During the trial, prosecutors pointed to Lai’s meetings with senior US leaders in 2019 and used articles, social media posts and private messages as evidence.
Lai has been in custody since his arrest in August 2020. Over time, he has appeared weaker and thinner. His lawyers told the court that he suffers from heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and constant pain.
His daughter has said that while his spirit remains strong, his health has worsened. Hong Kong authorities, however, say medical care provided to him has been proper.
On the day of the verdict, many people lined up outside the court before sunrise to attend the hearing. Some former employees of Apple Daily said they wanted to see how Lai was doing and hoped the case would finally come to an end.
Jimmy Lai is already serving a five years and nine months prison sentence in a separate fraud case. He has also been convicted earlier for taking part in unauthorised protests during the 2019 demonstrations.