UK – Independent, Feb. 09, 2026
The British government has vowed to “rapidly engage further” with the Chinese authorities after Hong Kong’s media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the heaviest penalty ever handed out under the city’s national security law.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the jail term was “tantamount to a life sentence” as she raised concerns over his “appalling” health condition in solitary confinement.The 78-year-old Briton was found guilty in December of two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under a China-imposed national security law, as well as a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
Lai, a pro-democracy campaigner and founder of the now-shutteredApple Daily newspaper, has always denied all wrongdoing.
Today, three handpicked judges vetted by Hong Kong leaders cited Lai’s “serious and grave criminal conduct” in handing down 20 years in prison. Six other former executives of the paper were also sentenced with terms ranging from six years and nine months to 10 years.
Lai’s family has raised renewed concerns over his health and alleged mistreatment in solitary confinement, saying after today’s sentence that he will most likely “die a martyr” in jail.
