Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Tycoon Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1453 EAT on Monday 9 February 2026

Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media tycoon, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city’s controversial national security law.

Rights groups have condemned the ruling as a “death sentence” for the 78-year-old, whose family has raised concerns over his health. Hong Kong Chief Executive, however, described the verdict as “deeply gratifying.”

The sentence marks the harshest punishment handed down under the law, which Beijing imposed following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. China defends the legislation as essential for maintaining stability in the city.

A British citizen, Lai is the most prominent of the hundreds arrested under the law. A fierce critic of Beijing, he frequently used his newspaper, Apple Daily, as a platform for pro-democracy activism.

“It is incredibly heartbreaking,” Lai’s son, Sebastien, told the BBC’s Today programme. He said he had repeatedly raised his father’s imprisonment with the UK government, but “obviously my father is still in prison.”

Sebastien and others have criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to China as a missed opportunity to press for Lai’s release.

“The sentence represents the total destruction of Hong Kong’s legal system and the end of justice,” he added.

Hong Kong authorities and China’s Foreign Ministry, however, insist the sentencing underscores the city’s adherence to the rule of law. The judges described Lai’s actions as “serious and grave criminal conduct” and said he was involved in conspiracies of the “most serious” category.

On Monday morning, police maintained a heavy presence around the court ahead of Jimmy Lai’s sentencing.

Crowds of supporters had also gathered, some having camped out for days in hopes of witnessing the hearing.

“I just want to greet Mr Lai in person in court… That’s all I ask for, because I think it will be the last time I see him,” said one supporter, who had been waiting since Thursday night.

Inside the courtroom, Lai, dressed in a white jacket and black glasses, smiled at his family and supporters. He remained composed as the sentence was announced, while sobs could be heard from the public. His wife, Teresa, held back tears as she left the court.

Lai, previously convicted of fraud and unauthorised assemblies, has already served more than five years in prison.
Also sentenced on Monday under the national security law were six former Apple Daily executives and two activists, receiving terms ranging from six years and three months to 10 years.

Lai has consistently denied the charges, insisting that he was advocating for what he considered Hong Kong’s core values, including the rule of law and freedom of speech.

The case centers on a meeting Lai held with then-US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the height of the 2019 protests, in which he discussed the situation in Hong Kong.

When he testified in November, Lai maintained that he had “never” sought to influence foreign policy, saying he was “just relaying” information about events on the ground.

Rights groups, however, condemned the sentence as both “draconian” and “egregious

“Today’s egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong,” said Jodie Ginsberg of the Committee to Protect Journalists. She urged the international community to “step up its pressure” to secure Lai’s release, adding: “If we want press freedom to be respected anywhere in the world, we must act.”

Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch’s Asia director, said Lai’s case “shows the Chinese government’s determination to crush independent journalism and silence anyone who dares to criticise the Communist Party.”

In his last interview as a free man� in 2020, Lai told the BBC, “I got everything I have because of [Hong Kong]. If this is payback time, this is my redemption.” At the time, he was out on bail.

Born in Guangzhou, China, Lai arrived in Hong Kong at the age of 12 as a stowaway on a fishing boat. He started with menial jobs before building a multi-million-dollar business empire, which included the clothing brand Giordano.

Lai became a vocal democracy activist following China’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. He later founded pro-democracy media outlets, including Apple Daily and Next magazine, and regularly participated in demonstrations.

Lai’s family and lawyers have called on the international community to press for his release. “Now that this sham trial is finally over, we call on leaders from around the world to speak with one voice in their demand for China to free Jimmy Lai so he can return home to his family in London at last,” said Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, who leads Lai’s international legal team. Gallagher, however, was not permitted to represent him in court.

Source: BBC

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