HONG KONG — Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, drawing swift condemnation from the United Nations, the European Union and several Western governments. Lai’s son, Sebastian, said the punishment was expected but “no less devastating,” and described his 78-year-old father’s courtroom demeanor as defiantly calm.
Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in December on two counts of foreign collusion under the national security law and one count of seditious publication. His punishment is by far the harshest issued since Beijing imposed the law in 2020 after citywide pro-democracy protests, cementing the case as a defining moment in Hong Kong’s political crackdown.
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Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio program, Sebastian Lai said his father “was stoic and he even smiled at the judges almost to tell them that though they have locked up his body, they don’t have his spirit.” He called the marathon legal process a “show trial,” noting the family had braced for a heavy sentence but was still shaken by its length.
“This is very old for a man who’s been kept in a maximum-security prison,” he said of his father’s age and health. “If you imagine 14 days of solitary confinement, prolonged solitary confinement, he’s been there for 1,800 days. It’s almost a miracle that he’s still so strong in spirit and in faith.”
Lai has been jailed since 2020, when authorities moved to dismantle the territory’s once-vibrant independent media and civic opposition. Apple Daily — which backed the pro-democracy movement and called out Beijing’s encroachment — was forced to shut down in 2021 after police raided its newsroom and froze assets.
The U.N. and the E.U. led a chorus of international rebukes after the sentence was handed down. The European Union said it “deplores” the decision and urged Lai’s “immediate and unconditional release.” Britain said it would “rapidly engage further” on the case, while the United States called the outcome “unjust and tragic.” Australia also criticized the ruling, framing it as part of a broader erosion of political and media freedoms in Hong Kong.
China rejected the outcry. At a regular news briefing, the foreign ministry said “certain countries and institutions have used this judicial case… to maliciously smear Hong Kong,” adding that Beijing had lodged “solemn representations” with governments and bodies that criticized the verdict.
Human rights groups have long warned that Hong Kong’s national security law, enacted by Beijing without local legislative debate, criminalizes dissent and chills free expression. Authorities say the legislation has restored stability and is narrowly targeted at secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion. Lai’s supporters counter that his prosecution is politically motivated and designed to silence a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party.
From exile, Sebastian Lai has become a key advocate for his father’s case, urging democratic governments to keep up public pressure. He told RTÉ he cannot return to Hong Kong because he speaks out against the city’s authorities, and appealed specifically to Dublin to add its voice. “Ireland, this great country that [stands] for human rights, that would help a lot,” he said.
Despite the verdict, Lai’s family signaled they will continue their campaign. “One of the bittersweet moments that gives me courage,” his son said, “is seeing my father’s defiance. They may have his body, but not his spirit.”
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
