Jimmy Lai trial live updates: Hong Kong court to sentence media mogul after national security conviction – UK Times

Jimmy Lai’s defence lawyer declined to say whether an appeal would be filed, responding “no comment” when asked by reporters outside the court following the sentencing.

The Hong Kong court on Monday said Jimmy Lai’s offences were of a “grave nature” and the conspiracies were of the “most serious” category.

The judge said the sentencing was enhanced bythe fact that he was the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.

The court said the foreign collusion conspiracies were “well planned” and “premeditated”.

Six former Apple Daily executives were also sentenced by the court.

Publisher Cheung Kim-hung was given six years and nine months in prison, while associate publisher Chan Pui-man received a seven-year term.

Editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee was sentenced to seven years and three months.

Editor-in-chief Lai Wai-kwong, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung and editorial writer Fung Wai-kong were each handed 10-year jail terms.

Jimmy Lai’s wife was seen leaving the court shortly afterwards, wearing dark sunglasses and appearing to struggle to hold back tears as she made her way out of the building.

The sentence marks the harshest punishment imposed under Hong Kong’s national security law to date. Until now, the longest term handed down was 10 years’ imprisonment, imposed on legal scholar and opposition strategist Benny Tai in 2024.

In mainland China, the prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in 2009 for inciting subversion.

Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday sentenced jailed media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai to a total of 20 years in prison.

The proceedings are ongoing.

But the sentencing brings a close to one of the most closely watched national security cases since the law was imposed in 2020.

Court proceedings have begun, with Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants entering the dock.

Lai, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a white jacket, smiled and clasped his hands as he greeted those seated in the public gallery.

Presiding judge Esther Toh said the court’s sentencing reasons run to 47 pages.

She added that the document would not be read out in full in court, but would be made available to lawyers and the press and uploaded online within half an hour of the conclusion of the proceedings.

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai entered the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday for sentencing in his national security case, as a heavy police presence remained in place around the court complex.

Lai has spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement since he was arrested in August 2020.