HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court has delivered a crushing blow to the city's pro-democracy movement with the sentencing of 78-year-old media mogul Jimmy Lai, who was convicted on Monday of conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security and publishing seditious articles. The harsh 20-year prison sentence is the longest punishment given under China's national security law, which has effectively silenced dissent in Hong Kong.
Lai, a fierce critic of Beijing, was found guilty of being the mastermind behind the conspiracies, but his lawyers argued that he was not fit to serve a life imprisonment term due to his age and health conditions. The court reduced his penalty by 18 years, but the new sentence is still considered severe, particularly in light of Lai's poor health.
The sentencing has raised concerns about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong, which was once an Asian bastion of media independence. Apple Daily, the now-defunct newspaper founded by Lai, was forced to shut down in 2021 after several of its senior journalists were arrested and charged under the same national security law.
Lai's daughter has vowed that her father will die a martyr in prison, while Lai's lawyer, Robert Pang, refused to comment on whether his client would appeal. The international community, including US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have condemned Lai's conviction and sentencing as unjust and politically motivated.
The case is significant not only for its broad construction of seditious intent but also for its implications for journalists and academics who engage with international platforms and audiences. "Offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which often involves engagement with international platforms and audiences, may now easily be construed as 'collusion,'" said Urania Chiu, a lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University.
The court's ruling has also been criticized by Human Rights Watch, which described Lai's 20-year sentence as "cruel and unjust." The organization noted that the confiscation of assets related to Lai's crime is another worrying development for press freedom in Hong Kong.
As the international community continues to weigh in on Lai's conviction, it remains to be seen how China will respond to criticism. Beijing has consistently maintained that the national security law is necessary to maintain stability and order in Hong Kong, but many critics see it as an attempt to suppress dissent and stifle free speech.
Lai, a fierce critic of Beijing, was found guilty of being the mastermind behind the conspiracies, but his lawyers argued that he was not fit to serve a life imprisonment term due to his age and health conditions. The court reduced his penalty by 18 years, but the new sentence is still considered severe, particularly in light of Lai's poor health.
The sentencing has raised concerns about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong, which was once an Asian bastion of media independence. Apple Daily, the now-defunct newspaper founded by Lai, was forced to shut down in 2021 after several of its senior journalists were arrested and charged under the same national security law.
Lai's daughter has vowed that her father will die a martyr in prison, while Lai's lawyer, Robert Pang, refused to comment on whether his client would appeal. The international community, including US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have condemned Lai's conviction and sentencing as unjust and politically motivated.
The case is significant not only for its broad construction of seditious intent but also for its implications for journalists and academics who engage with international platforms and audiences. "Offering and publishing legitimate critiques of the state, which often involves engagement with international platforms and audiences, may now easily be construed as 'collusion,'" said Urania Chiu, a lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University.
The court's ruling has also been criticized by Human Rights Watch, which described Lai's 20-year sentence as "cruel and unjust." The organization noted that the confiscation of assets related to Lai's crime is another worrying development for press freedom in Hong Kong.
As the international community continues to weigh in on Lai's conviction, it remains to be seen how China will respond to criticism. Beijing has consistently maintained that the national security law is necessary to maintain stability and order in Hong Kong, but many critics see it as an attempt to suppress dissent and stifle free speech.
78 years old man gets 20 year prison sentence for just speaking his mind? that's not freedom, that's a nightmare 
china is getting way too serious with its national security law, gotta be careful where we breathe 
press freedom is dying over there and it's so sad to see it happen 
they're basically saying "be careful what you say" and it's not a warning, it's a threat 
and china needs to stop using its national security law as an excuse to silence dissenting voices 
and what's with the confiscation of assets? that's just another way for china to strangle press freedom in hong kong 
. It's like they're sending a message to all the others who are still holding out against Beijing - you can't get away with criticizing them either 
. And what's crazy is that it's not just Jimmy Lai, but his whole legacy is being destroyed too. Apple Daily, which was once this iconic newspaper, is now nothing more than a memory 
. I'm not surprised the international community is all over this though - it's like they're saying "hold up, China, this isn't right". We'll just have to see how China responds, but one thing for sure, this guy's fight isn't over yet 
apple daily should've been able to just keep on keeping on without all the drama 
20 yrs of hard time could kill him 
what's next? 
- Lai's 20 years is a fitting punishment for a guy who's been causing so much trouble all these years 
. If you're gonna be against Beijing, at least have the decency to do it quietly and without trying to stir up the whole city. All this fuss about press freedom in Hong Kong? Overrated 
China's national security law is a necessary evil - can't let some old man's whining bring down the entire system 
. And btw, if Lai was gonna die in prison anyway, maybe this way he'll at least get to spend his last days with his fellow inmates who are also guilty of treason 
.
now it's like, super scary to even write an article without getting caught in the crossfire 
this isn't justice, it's more like a big ol' scare tactic to keep people quiet 
it's not just Lai, this law affects anyone who dares to challenge the status quo 
. The international community is right to be concerned - this is a threat not just to journalism, but to free speech and critical thinking itself 
. It's also worth noting that China is using these laws to exert influence over other countries' media outlets too 
.
. It's like, how can you justify taking away someone's freedom for just expressing your opinions? The international community needs to keep putting pressure on China until they back down 
over press freedom in Hong Kong. In 2021, only 60% of journalists in Hong Kong reported being able to work without fear or self-censorship 
. Now, with this ruling, the number might drop even lower... 
China's national security law has been used to silence dissent since 2020, when the law was passed. Since then, we've seen:
on these human rights abuses! Here are some stats that illustrate the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong:
2022: 92% of journalists reported feeling pressured to self-censor
300% increase in internet shutdowns since 2019
anyway i feel bad for him and his family but at the same time i'm low-key glad china is cracking down on dissension 
gotta stay woke tho 
what really gets me is the impact this has on press freedom in hk it used to be a beacon of media independence but now it feels like china's crushing the voices that matter 
- you can suffocate anyone under it 