US Edition
Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai Gets 20 Years in Prison for National Security Crimes
Jimmy Lai was convicted of colluding with foreign forces and sedition under Hong Kong's national security law and has spent over 1,800 days in custody, court documents show.
- On Monday, February 9, 2026, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison at West Kowloon Law Courts, with 18 years to be served consecutively with a separate case.
- In December, judges found Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious material, determining he aimed to destabilize the Chinese Communist Party, prosecutors said.
- After a 156-day trial, Lai spent 52 days giving evidence, facing judges hand-picked to preside over national security cases, and was denied his first choice of lawyer, according to his legal team and lawyer Robert Pang.
- The sentence could heighten diplomatic tensions as the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the verdict and Keir Starmer, British Prime Minister, urged Lai's release while press freedom NGOs and western states criticised it.
- The closure of Apple Daily followed police raids and an asset freeze forcing its June 2021 shutdown, while Reporters Without Borders linked a 68-place press-freedom drop to this case.
301 Articles
301 Articles
Conservative Grand Rapids group calls Hong Kong activist’s prison term a ‘death sentence’
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The president emeritus of the Acton Institute, a Grand Rapids think tank that promotes free markets and religious liberty, is criticizing a Hong Kong court for sentencing media tycoon and China critic Jimmy Lai to prison Monday.
Beijing Reasserts Grip on Hong Kong Security After Jimmy Lai Jailing
Background China has issued a new policy white paper reaffirming its authority over national security in Hong Kong, a move that closely followed the sentencing of prominent media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison. The document, released by China’s State Council, underscores Beijing’s view that safeguarding national security in the […] The post Beijing Reasserts Grip on Hong Kong Security After Jimmy Lai Jailing appeared f…
Hong Kong court sentences Jimmy Lai to 20 years
Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul who spent decades as a defiant thorn in Beijing’s side, was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison, the harshest penalty ever handed down for a national security offense in the semiautonomous territory.
Hong Kong jails China critic Jimmy Lai for 20 years in landmark case
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the city’s most severe national security case to date. The ruling drew swift international condemnation, while Beijing defended the punishment as lawful and necessary.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
