Hong Kong’s High Court will on Monday (Jan 12) hear the mitigation plea of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, marking the final procedural stage before sentencing in one of the most consequential national security trials since Beijing imposed the sweeping law on the city. The case has drawn intense international scrutiny and condemnation, with Lai facing the possibility of life imprisonment.
Lai, 78, was found guilty last month of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material under the China-imposed national security law and colonial-era sedition legislation revived by authorities. The verdict was criticised by the United States, Britain, the European Union and several other governments, all of which said the case underscored the erosion of rights and freedoms once guaranteed to Hong Kong.
Lai has denied all charges throughout the proceedings. Responding to the conviction, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ruling demonstrated “the enforcement of Beijing’s laws to silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights.”
A longtime critic of the Chinese Communist Party, Lai founded the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid that was once among Hong Kong’s most widely read publications. His prosecution makes him the most prominent figure to be convicted under the national security law following the city’s mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
In their written judgment, the judges said Lai had used his influence and Apple Daily “to carry out a consistent campaign with a view to undermine the legitimacy or authority” of both the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong administration. They added that Lai’s testimony during the trial was at times “contradictory, inconsistent, evasive and unreliable,” a finding his supporters strongly dispute.
Eight other defendants were charged in the case. All pleaded guilty, and five later became prosecution witnesses. They include Cheung Kim-hung, the former chief executive of Lai’s once-listed company Next Digital; Chan Pui-man, Apple Daily’s former associate publisher; and Yeung Ching-kee, a former editorial writer at the paper. Their cooperation was cited by prosecutors as evidence of a coordinated effort to solicit foreign pressure on Hong Kong and China.
Mitigation hearings for all defendants are scheduled to begin at 10am on Monday and are expected to last four days. Sentencing will be handed down at a later date, after the court considers submissions on punishment and individual circumstances.
Outside the court building, scenes of quiet but determined support have unfolded. Dozens of people have been queuing since Friday in the hope of seeing Lai and the other defendants. Many slept overnight on the pavement, wrapped in blankets or using cardboard as makeshift bedding.
“It feels like the end of the road for my former colleagues,” said a tearful woman who gave her name only as Ling, 47, an ex-Apple Daily staffer who has been visiting former colleagues in prison. “At least now they know where the finish line is, however long it may take.” Speaking of Lai, she added: “He knew exactly what path he was choosing. I think it brings him some comfort that we can finally enter the main courtroom in the days ahead.”
Lai, who holds British citizenship, has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,800 days. Two of his children have warned that his health has deteriorated significantly, saying his death in custody would cause “irreparable damage to Hong Kong’s reputation.”
International pressure for his release has continued. US President Donald Trump said in an interview this month that he had personally asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to free Lai, whom he described as a “positive activist,” though he said he had yet to receive a response. Five experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council have also urged Lai’s release on humanitarian grounds, warning that his conviction reflects a “dramatic decline in fundamental freedoms and judicial independence” in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong authorities, however, have consistently defended the prosecution, insisting Lai was given a fair trial and arguing that the national security law has restored stability after years of unrest.
