Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, the city’s most prominent political prisoner, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail. His only real offense was peacefully advocating for democracy in the Communist-run city.
Lai was found guilty in December of colluding with foreign forces — partially stemming from meetings with U.S. officials during the first Trump administration — to try to convince Washington to help when Hong Kong’s limited democracy was under attack. He was also found guilty of using his popular newspaper, Apple Daily, to spread “sedition.” Other media executives in the case received sentences ranging from six to 10 years. The trials were held with no jury, and Lai was not allowed his own choice of lawyer. The kangaroo court failed to meet any international standard for justice.
At age 78, suffering from diabetes and hypertension, Lai has been relegated to spending the rest of his life behind bars. It’s a de facto death sentence.
Lai’s only chance for freedom now may be the United States. President Donald Trump has repeatedly spokenof wanting to free Lai and said he raised the case directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump is scheduled to travel to China in April in search of a wide-ranging trade deal, an opportunity to again press this matter. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made no progress freeing Lai during his recent trip to Beijing, even though Lai holds British citizenship.
Lai’s 20-year sentence is the longest so far under a “national security law,” which was imposed upon Hong Kong by Beijing in 2020 with no input from local authorities. It has nothing to do with external threats; it’s about crushing opposition.
Lai championed the freedoms, economic and personal, that made Hong Kong a spectacular success — and which China’s totalitarian regime remains intent on destroying. He arrived penniless as a stowaway at age 12, fleeing the poverty and chaos of Communist China. He worked as a child laborer in a garment factory, rose to become a manager and saved enough money to start his own clothing outlet that became an international brand.
Many of Hong Kong’s most prominent tycoons followed the same path to earn their fortunes in what was then a British colony. While most reached accommodations with the regime, Lai risked his fortune and freedom to advocate for self-determination. He chose to stay as others fled.
His fate mirrors that of the city he loves: an open-air prison of 7.5 million people where no dissent is brooked.
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