Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday found media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, marking the most high-profile conviction to date under the China-imposed national security law. The verdict could see the 78-year-old jailed for life.
The ruling has drawn intense international attention, with critics saying it underscores the erosion of judicial independence in Hong Kong following the 2019 pro-democracy protests, which Beijing viewed as a direct challenge to its authority. Chinese and Hong Kong officials have consistently rejected such claims, insisting the rule of law remains intact.
Delivering the verdict, Judge Esther Toh said there was “no doubt” that Lai had harboured resentment toward China for many years. Lai, dressed in a pale green jumper and grey jacket, listened quietly in the packed courtroom. Judges Alex Lee and Susana D’Almada Remedios also presided over the case.
Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and a vocal critic of China’s Communist Party, was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Lai has already spent five years in prison while facing multiple cases under the national security law introduced after the 2019 protests. A pre-sentencing hearing, where he can seek leniency, is scheduled for January 12 next year. His lawyer, Steven Kwan, said Lai will decide whether to appeal after sentencing.
Hong Kong’s national security police chief Steve Li welcomed the verdict, while rights groups and foreign governments strongly condemned it. The United States, Britain, and international media watchdogs have described the trial as politically motivated and have repeatedly called for Lai’s immediate release.
US President Donald Trump raised Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in October and has previously said he would do his utmost to secure Lai’s freedom.
Media rights organisations were quick to criticise the ruling. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the conviction a “sham” and a “disgraceful act of persecution,” while Reporters Without Borders also described the trial as unjust. Both groups said the verdict highlights the severe decline of press freedom in Hong Kong.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended the proceedings, maintaining that the national security law applies equally to all and that freedoms cannot override national security concerns.
Lai’s family has expressed serious concern over his health, saying it has deteriorated after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement. They say he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations.
The verdict comes at a sensitive time for Hong Kong, which is still reeling from a deadly residential fire last month that killed at least 160 people. Chinese national security authorities have warned they will act against any attempts to exploit the tragedy to revive anti-government unrest similar to that seen during the 2019 protests.
