Former Hong Kong media tycoon sentenced to 20 years in prison

Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, concluding a years-long legal battle that has come to symbolize Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on the city’s freedoms.

The 78-year-old billionaire, a prominent critic of the government, was among the highest-profile figures charged under Hong Kong’s national security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020. His sentence is the longest delivered under the law, meaning he will not be eligible for parole until his late 90s, CNN reports.

The case has drawn widespread international attention and calls for Lai’s release. Western leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have previously spoken out on his behalf. Trump, who vowed to “get him out,” is expected to travel to China in the coming months to meet President Xi Jinping, a meeting where many of Lai’s supporters plan to press the issue.

Lai’s children reacted strongly to the sentencing. His son Sebastien called it “draconian” and “life-threatening” for his father, while his daughter Claire described it as “heartbreakingly cruel.” She added, “I have watched my father’s health deteriorate dramatically and the conditions he’s kept in go from bad to worse. If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars.”

Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, had long been a thorn in Beijing’s side due to his outspoken criticism of Hong Kong’s shrinking freedoms.

Both Beijing and Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected international criticism, denying that Lai’s prosecution was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom. Officials have stated that Lai has received adequate medical attention while in prison.

“Lai used Apple Daily to poison the minds of citizens, incite hatred, distort facts, deliberately create social division, glorify violence, and openly beg external forces to sanction China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” said Hong Kong leader John Lee, a former police officer and security chief, on February 9.

By Sabina Mammadli