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February 09, 2026 – China –
Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been sentenced to 20 years in prison under the city’s national security law, marking one of the harshest penalties imposed so far under the legislation and prompting widespread international concern about press freedom and judicial independence. The verdict was delivered on 9 February 2026 in a case that has become emblematic of Beijing’s tightened control over dissent in the former British colony.
Lai, 78, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in December 2025 on three charges, including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials. Prosecutors argued that Lai and co-defendants sought foreign sanctions and other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong, using the newspaper and its associated companies as platforms for their activities.
During Monday’s sentencing, a panel of three High Court judges imposed the 20-year term, which falls within the most severe range prescribed under the city’s national security statute. The length of the sentence means that Lai could remain incarcerated until at least 2044, assuming no reductions for good behaviour, and raises the likelihood that he will spend the remainder of his life in prison, given his advanced age.
Several former senior Apple Daily staff members and activists convicted alongside Lai also received substantial prison terms, ranging from approximately six years and nine months to ten years. Authorities portrayed the sentencing as a demonstration of Hong Kong’s commitment to enforcing national security, while critics said it signals a decisive end to space for independent journalism in the city.
Lai’s defenders, including family members and international rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, condemned the verdict as “cruel” and “profoundly unjust.” They warned that the sentence not only punishes an individual journalist but also chills free expression and media independence more broadly, given Apple Daily’s long history of critical reporting on the Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong authorities.
The case has drawn vocal criticism from multiple Western governments, including the United Kingdom — of which Lai is a citizen — and highlighted tensions over the future of the “one country, two systems” framework. Beijing and Hong Kong officials, however, defended the ruling as lawful and necessary to safeguard national stability, rejecting foreign criticism as unwarranted interference in internal affairs.
Reference –
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cq5yv581e9yt
https://www.journalismpakistan.com/jimmy-lai-sentenced-to-20-years-in-hong-kong
