Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Hong Kong court on national security and sedition charges, a landmark moment in the former British colony's return to Chinese rule. Activists and rights groups have widely condemned the charges and the verdict.
On Monday, the West Kowloon District Court in Hong Kong sentenced Lai to life in prison after his conviction on national security and sedition charges. The tycoon, known for his pro-democracy stance, is the founder of the now-defunct media outlet Apple Daily. Lai's next court date is on 12 January, and he has an opportunity to file an appeal.
The Charges and the Court's Ruling
Authorities arrested Lai in 2020 under the national security law imposed by China to crack down on anti-government protests that began in 2019. Lai was already in jail serving several other prison sentences that totalled 10 years.
For this case, Lai was charged with one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications and two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. This includes the renewed use of a British colonial-era sedition law. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors accused Lai of using Apple Daily and his foreign connections to lobby for foreign governments to impose sanctions and other measures on authorities in China and Hong Kong. The court ruling, which spanned 855 pages and was delivered by judges selected by Beijing for national security purposes, stated that the evidence was 'clear.'
'There is no doubt in our mind that the first defendant never wavered in his intention to destabilise the governance of the CCP, and despite the enactment of the national security law, he was intent on continuing, though in a less explicit way,' said high court judge Esther Toh, reading out the ruling to the court.
Reactions to the Verdict
The ruling was welcomed by John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, and security police chief Steve Li, who both said the judges were 'professional.' A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson also welcomed the ruling, saying that Beijing supported the efforts by Hong Kong authorities in 'punishing criminal acts that endanger national security.'
However, rights organisations swiftly criticised the verdict. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the ruling a 'sham conviction' and 'a disgraceful act of persecution'.
'The ruling underscores Hong Kong's utter contempt for press freedom, which is supposed to be protected under the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law,' said the committee's Asia-Pacific director Beh Lih Yi. 'Jimmy Lai's only crime is running a newspaper and defending democracy. The risk of him dying from ill health in prison increases as each day passes – he must be reunited with his family immediately.
Amnesty International's Sarah Brooks also criticised the ruling, saying that despite the unsurprising verdict given to Lai, it was not 'any less dismaying'. Human Rights Watch's Elaine Pearson, described the conviction as cruel.
'The Chinese government's mistreatment of Jimmy Lai aims to silence everyone who dares to criticise the Communist Party,' said Pearson.
The UK reiterated that the trial and conviction against Lai were 'politically motivated' and called for Lai's release as he is a British citizen. The Hong Kong authorities have also used the same national security law to arrest and charge Apple Daily's senior executives while raiding the offices and freezing assets worth £1.7 million ($2.3 million), leading to the outlet's closure.
