On February 9, 2026, Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison—the harshest penalty ever under Hong Kong's national security law. His son Sebastien called it "a death sentence" given his father's age and prison conditions. The UN human rights chief demanded his immediate release, calling the verdict a violation of international human rights law.
The Sentence
Three government-vetted judges spared Lai the maximum penalty of life imprisonment, instead handing down 20 years for conspiring to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security, and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. It remains the longest sentence ever delivered under the sweeping national security law Beijing imposed in 2020.
Six former Apple Daily staff, an activist, and a paralegal were sentenced alongside Lai, receiving terms ranging from six to ten years. The case represents Hong Kong's largest media trial since the handover to China in 1997.
Who Is Jimmy Lai?
Jimmy Lai (Lai Chee-ying) was born December 8, 1947 in Guangzhou, China, and fled to Hong Kong as a 12-year-old stowaway. From a child laborer in a glove factory, he transformed himself into a billionaire, founding the Giordano casual clothing chain in 1981.
The 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was his turning point. Horrified by what he saw, Lai decided to use his wealth to hold Beijing accountable. He founded Apple Daily in 1995 with a defiant slogan: "An apple a day keeps the liars away." Circulation grew to 400,000 by 1997, making it Hong Kong's second-largest newspaper and largest independent, non-state publication.
"Twenty years, it's a farce. It's essentially tantamount to a life sentence, or as Human Rights Watch calls it a death sentence, because in the conditions that my father is being kept in, I don't know if he even has a tenth of that."— Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son (CBC)
The Fall of Apple Daily
After Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020, police raided Apple Daily's headquarters in August of that year, arresting Lai, his two sons, and four executives. In June 2021, authorities froze HK$500 million (US$64 million) of Lai's assets, forcing the newspaper to cease operations.
The final edition on June 24, 2021 sold 1 million copies—compared to the usual 80,000. Hong Kongers formed long queues and waited hours to purchase what many saw as a symbol of their disappearing freedoms.
Global Condemnation
The international response was swift and forceful. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for Lai's immediate release, warning the verdict violates international human rights law. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it "an unjust and tragic conclusion" and urged humanitarian parole.
The UK announced it would expand visa routes for Hong Kong residents in direct response to the sentencing. Britain's statement noted that Lai has been a British citizen since 1994—a fact that has complicated diplomatic relations with Beijing.
A Moment of Defiance
When the sentence was announced, Lai showed no fear. His son Sebastien recalled that his father "even smiled at the judges, almost as an act of defiance." Sebastien described his father as "stoic," noting that China has imprisoned his body "but they haven't imprisoned his spirit."
Lai was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 alongside four other Hong Kong citizens. He received the Committee to Protect Journalists' Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award in 2021. A practicing Catholic, Lai has become a global symbol of resistance against authoritarian suppression of press freedom. China currently holds at least 51 journalists behind bars—including eight in Hong Kong.