A Hong Kong court found Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy, anti-Beijing media figure, guilty of violating the National Security Act. Despite outside calls for his release, including from U.S. President Donald Trump, Lai has been imprisoned for more than 1,800 days and is scheduled to receive his final sentence in Jan. next year, with speculation he could face up to life imprisonment.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and the Associated Press, the Hong Kong High Court on the 15th found Jimmy Lai, founder of Hong Kong's "Apple Daily," guilty on all three counts in his National Security Act trial, including collusion with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials. The court said it would announce the sentencing date as soon as possible.
The judge said Lai's claims were inconsistent and lacked credibility, and noted considerations such as the possibility that co-conspirators may have testified falsely to receive reduced sentences.
The court also ordered Lai's side to submit written materials for a sentencing reduction by Jan. 2 next year. A hearing to consider mitigating circumstances is scheduled for Jan. 12 next year. According to the SCMP, the sentencing, taking into account mitigation and other final considerations, is expected sometime in Jan. next year.
Jimmy Lai, the publisher of Apple Daily, Hong Kong's leading anti-Beijing outlet, was arrested in Aug. 2020, shortly after the National Security Act took effect, and was indicted in Dec. that year. The Hong Kong National Security Act was enacted and implemented after large-scale anti-government protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019. The law allows sentences of up to life imprisonment for four acts: secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces. Apple Daily was founded in 1995, before Hong Kong's handover, came under pressure from China, and shut down in Jun. 2021.
Lai's trial began in Dec. 2023. In addition to National Security Act charges, he was sentenced to 20 months for leading an illegal assembly and 69 months for using Apple Daily's offices for unauthorized purposes. He has been imprisoned for more than 1,830 days.
Lai's trial has drawn international attention. U.S. President Donald Trump, at the U.S.-China summit in Busan, asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to release Lai, citing bilateral relations and China's external image, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he would prioritize the release of Lai, a British national.