The Hong Kong High Court on Monday ended the most symbolic trial organized under the National Security Law (NSL), the rule introduced by Beijing in 2020 to silence the protests which had paralyzed a year earlier the territory demanding that it maintain its autonomy from mainland China. Jimmy Lai, 78 years old and founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper AppleDailywas convicted of two counts of collusion with foreign forces and a crime of sedition related to the publication of subversive materials, for which he faces a life sentence.
Lai, who has a British passport and has been held in solitary confinement for almost five years, is the most high-profile figure on trial in the controversial NSL, and critics say his case reflects how the justice system in Hong Kong (a former British colony and now an autonomous territory of China) has become an instrument for silencing political opposition.
This legal process has attracted significant international attention. Several capitals have been calling for the tycoon’s release for years, saying it was a politically motivated affair. US President Donald Trump assured that he had discussed the issue during his meeting last October with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. But Lai was ultimately convicted.
Magistrate Esther Toh announced the verdict, which took up 855 pages. He said “there is no doubt” that Lai “harbored hatred” toward the People’s Republic and that his repeated calls to the United States were aimed at “helping to overthrow the Chinese government” under the guise of helping the people of Hong Kong.
In its judgment, the court considers the tycoon guilty of sedition for having “consciously” used his influence and the party platform. AppleDaily to “undermine the legitimacy or authority” of the Beijing and Hong Kong governments. Regarding the crime of collusion with foreign forces, he concluded that Lai was the mastermind of a plot to exert “international pressure” and “gather foreign support” against the authorities.
The judges point out that even after the NSL took effect in 2020, Lai continued to promote the imposition of sanctions and other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China, actions that the court characterizes as threats to national security.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee stressed that Lai’s actions have “harmed the country’s interests and the well-being of Hong Kong people”, and stressed that his government “will spare no effort to prevent, stop and punish acts that endanger national security”. The law “will not allow anyone to harm their country and their compatriots under the pretext of human rights and democracy,” he added during a media appearance.
The final sentence will be known in 2026, but the LSN punishes up to life imprisonment for the (vaguely defined) crimes of “terrorism”, “independence”, “subversion against the powers of the State” and “collusion with foreign forces”. Lai, who turned 78 last week, has been in solitary confinement for more than 1,800 days and his family reports that his health is very fragile: he suffers from diabetes, hypertension and other heart problems. Although he was arrested in late 2020, the trial for crimes against national security began in December 2023, after years of delays.
Attack on press freedom
Reporters Without Borders expresses its indignation and deep rejection of this verdict which, it denounces, “demonstrates the alarming deterioration of press freedom” in Hong Kong. The position of the enclave in the index published annually by this organization has fallen sharply: in 2002, it was in 18th place; By 2025, it has dropped to 140º.
“The predictability of today’s verdict doesn’t make it any less disheartening: this sentence sounds the death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong, where the essential work of journalism has been labeled a crime,” said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s China director.
Of Cantonese origin, Lai arrived in Hong Kong as a stowaway at the age of 12, fleeing the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Alone and without resources, he begins working in a textile factory. Over time, he created an empire from scratch in the clothing industry and later in the media, which made him one of the most influential businessmen and millionaires in the special administrative region.
He founded Next Digital in 1990 (the largest media group listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange) and in 1995 its flagship, the tabloid AppleDaily. Although it was not without controversy – it was criticized for its sensational headlines and sexist approaches in some articles – the newspaper generally enjoyed a good reputation for its investigative reporting. With the gradual withdrawal of other critical media, stifled by the withdrawal of advertising from companies linked to Beijing, AppleDaily He rose to prominence until he established himself as the most uncomfortable speaker in local government.
In 2019, the newspaper took a stance in favor of the protesters, which ended up putting it in open confrontation with the authorities. The protests erupted in opposition to a bill that would allow people from Hong Kong to be extradited to the Chinese mainland to face trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.
Lai’s activism was not limited to the pages of newspapers, but he also participated in some of the largest marches. This commitment makes him a reference for a large part of Hong Kong society, but also a declared enemy of the central power, which describes him as “radical” and “agent of anti-Chinese forces”.
In theory, the LSN aimed to defuse the financial city’s biggest crisis in decades. But the reality is that it mortally wounded the system of freedoms that – according to what had been agreed with the United Kingdom before the transfer of sovereignty in 1997 – China was to guarantee Hong Kong at least until 2047.
According to data from the Hong Kong Security Department, as of May this year, 326 people had been arrested under this law and almost all the completed cases resulted in convictions. Authorities defend its effectiveness in restoring stability, but human rights organizations denounce it as an instrument intended to stifle dissent.
Lai was arrested in August 2020 under the LSN regime, accused of “collusion with foreign forces.” He was released on bail soon after, but in December he was arrested again and charged with fraud in another court case. In April 2021, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison for participating in “illegal gatherings” organized during the protests; and in May he was given a second 14-month sentence for leading an illegal march. In December of the same year, he was sentenced to an additional 13 months for participating in the memorial vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen massacre.
AppleDaily announced its definitive closure in June 2021, after an intense legal offensive. In December 2022, Lai was sentenced to five years and nine months for breach of lease at Next Digital headquarters.
This Monday’s decision not only decides Lai’s criminal future, but also condenses the clash between two irreconcilable visions of Hong Kong. This decision is interpreted inside and outside the former British colony as an indicator of the margin left for pluralism after 2020.
“Over the past 30 years, we have occupied a special place in Hong Kong. We have been able to maintain a more critical view of the country, demand democracy in China more openly, and practice journalism with pride… I am afraid this will not happen again,” said the former Hong Kong newspaper reporter. AppleDaily Ronson Chan, in statements reported by Hong Kong Free Press.
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