HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday found pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, marking one of the city’s most high-profile trials under the China-imposed national security law. The verdict carries the possibility of a life sentence.
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Lai, 78, founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, has spent five years in jail facing multiple charges under the sweeping security legislation enacted after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. He was also convicted of conspiracy to publish seditious material. Lai had pleaded not guilty to all counts.
BREAKING: Hong Kong’s High Court found pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of sedition under a China-imposed national security law that could see him jailed for life. Follow our live coverage:… pic.twitter.com/F1mXQQwKyj
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 15, 2025
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty on all charges in landmark national security trialhttps://t.co/aHBw7Tr5x8
— CNN (@CNN) December 15, 2025
Judge Esther Toh said Lai “had harboured his resentment and hatred of” China for years, while judges Alex Lee and Susana D’Almada Remedios joined the ruling. A pre-sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 12, during which Lai can request leniency, after which he will decide whether to appeal.
Outside the courtroom, long queues formed as supporters sought to attend the verdict, while police monitored the area. The case has drawn global attention amid concerns over Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the shrinking democratic space in the city.
Rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, criticised the verdict as politically motivated, calling it a “sham conviction” and an attack on press freedom. Countries such as the US and the UK have urged Lai’s release, while former US President Donald Trump reportedly raised the case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Lai’s family say his health has deteriorated after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, noting he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations. The conviction comes amid wider concerns in Hong Kong following a recent residential complex fire that killed at least 160 people. Authorities have warned against attempts to exploit the tragedy to reignite pro-democracy unrest.