Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong Tycoon Convicted Amid Controversial Security Law

Tue Dec 16 2025 14:39:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Media mogul and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai faces potential life imprisonment after being convicted of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong's national security law. This verdict has been met with widespread criticism from human rights groups and calls for intervention from the UK government.

Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy figure and founder of Apple Daily, has been found guilty of colluding with foreign entities under Hong Kong's disputed national security law. The 78-year-old's trial raised questions about judicial independence and the ongoing suppression of dissent in the region. With a possible life sentence looming, reactions from global leaders and rights organizations express deep concern over his treatment and the implications for freedom of expression in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law (NSL).

The 78-year-old UK citizen, who has been in jail since December 2020, pleaded not guilty. He faces life in prison and is expected to be sentenced early next year.

Lai used his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper as part of a wider effort to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China, the court found.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee welcomed the verdict, noting that Lai's actions damaged the country's interests and the welfare of Hong Kongers. Rights groups called it a cruel judicial farce.

They argue that the NSL, which Beijing defends as essential for the city's stability, has been used to crush dissent.

Delivering the verdict, Judge Esther Toh stated that there was no doubt that Lai harboured hatred for the People's Republic of China, citing his constant invitation to the US to help bring down the government of the PRC with the excuse of helping the people of Hong Kong.

When Lai testified, he denied all charges against him, insisting he had never used his foreign contacts to influence foreign policy on Hong Kong.

As one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state, Lai was pivotal in the pro-democracy protests that engulfed Hong Kong in 2019, leading to the introduction of the NSL. The law grants authorities sweeping powers to arrest anyone deemed a threat to public order or national security.

He has reportedly been held in solitary confinement, and concerns over his health have been raised by rights organizations, with his son fearing he could die in prison.

Following the verdict, Lai’s son urged the UK government to actively seek his father’s release, stating that diplomatic relations with China should be contingent upon it.

Globally, leaders such as US President Donald Trump and UK PM Keir Starmer have condemned Lai's conviction as politically motivated, urging reforms to the NSL and calling for his immediate release.

With Lai's conviction, many see a further tightening of control over Hong Kong's once-vibrant civil society and news media.