Hong Kong court convicts pro-democracy activist and mogul Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai, a well-known pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong, has been convicted on all three charges he faced in a national security court. The verdict comes more than five years after his initial arrest in August 2020.

The 855-page ruling was delivered in a courtroom filled with observers, including Lai's wife and one of his sons. Cardinal Joseph Zen, a prominent pro-democracy advocate who baptized Lai in 1997, was also present.

Judge Esther Toh stated that Lai was found guilty on two counts of colluding with foreign forces. The court determined that Lai sought meetings with foreign officials, including American leaders, and advocated for sanctions against China. He was also convicted of sedition under a separate law dating back to the colonial era.

The verdict has drawn criticism from pro-democracy activist groups, as well as international human rights and press freedom organizations, who see it as a blow to press freedom. Several governments, including the UK and Taiwan, have condemned the conviction and called for Lai's release.

Frances Hui, policy and advocacy coordinator at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, stated that the verdict is further proof that the court system in Hong Kong has been compromised and politicized over the past five years, and is no longer the system it once was.

In a statement, Beijing's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office welcomed the verdict. They described Lai as a "lackey" of external forces who endangered China's national security.

The 78-year-old Lai faces a potential life sentence. His sentencing will be announced at a later date. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 12, and his defense team has not yet indicated whether they plan to appeal the verdict.

Lai's arrest in 2020 occurred after Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, largely in response to the mass anti-government protests of 2019, in which Lai participated. Hundreds of individuals have been arrested under this law, which punishes a wide range of dissenting behaviors with potential life sentences. Critics argue that the law has effectively suppressed dissent in the region.

Student leader Joshua Wong, already imprisoned on other charges related to his activism, has also faced new national security charges this year. In 2024, Hong Kong authorities sentenced 45 lawmakers and activists to prison terms of up to a decade on national security charges.

Lai's trial, which began in 2023, has garnered significant international attention due to Beijing's assertion that he played a key role in organizing the 2019 anti-Beijing demonstrations. He is also the only defendant in the case to have pleaded not guilty.

Finn Lau, a Hong Kong political activist who previously worked with Lai and was implicated in his national security case, said that Lai believed someone needed to remain behind to demonstrate to the world that Hong Kongers are willing to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party, regardless of the cost.

Prior to this verdict, Lai had already been serving two consecutive 14-month prison sentences on other charges related to protests.

Lai's family members have stated that his Catholic faith and the study of scripture have sustained him during his more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, much of which was at his own request, according to the Hong Kong government. They also report that his health has significantly deteriorated during his imprisonment, suffering from advanced diabetes and heart palpitations.

Lai's journey from a child stowaway in Hong Kong to one of the region's wealthiest individuals, through his success in the fast fashion industry, took a turn when he moved into media. He was instrumental in founding Apple Daily, a popular investigative tabloid that was raided and subsequently shut down by authorities in 2021. Nine editors and writers from Apple Daily were later arrested under the National Security Law, with six of them becoming prosecution witnesses against Lai.