Name: International outcry over Hong Kong court's harsh sentence for Jimmy Lai | DW News
Uploaded: 2026-02-09T17:11:33.000Z
Duration: 7 min 17 s
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There has been international outcry after a Hong Kong court sentenced the pro democracy media mogul and China critic Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison.

It's the longest punishment given so far under a Chinese imposed National Security law.

Adverbs of degree

That law has virtually silenced dissent in the city.

Beijing's Foreign Ministry is defending the sentencing, saying the 78 year old deserved to be severely punished.

Hong Kong's most vocal Beijing critic Jimmy Lai arrived at court under tight security.

His supporters waited for hours outside as judges handed down Lai's 20 year sentence.

The ruling was immediately condemned by those gathered, calling it part of a wider crackdown on press freedom.

You're free to eat, you're free to go, but you are not free to express yourself.

The situation in Hong Kong now is like the weather, gray and covered with dark clouds.

Apple Daily was the only platform that carried the voice of the Hong Kongers.

78 year old Lai founded the now defunct Apple Daily newspaper and was among the first high profile figures arrested under the National Security Law imposed by Beijing after months of street protests.

Convicted in December for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, Lai has already spent more than five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement.

Rights groups have criticized his punishment, describing it as effectively a death sentence.

I really wish he would apply for medical parole because even one day of imprisonment like this is an unjust, it is harmful to his mind and health.

I do wish his family would apply medical parole for him.

The ruling has also drawn international condemnation with the UK and the US calling for LAI's immediate release.

But China's Foreign Ministry says his case was illegitimate and legal and lie deserve to be severely punished under the law.

Well, I'm joined now by journalist Tom Grundy.

He's the founder and editor in chief of the English newspaper Hong Kong Free Press.

This is the most high profile case so far under Hong Kong's National Security Law.

For our viewers, tell us why Lai has been such an influential figure in Hong Kong.

And the longest sentence under the Security Law so far.

Lai has long been a top enemy of Hong Kong and a figurehead in the decades long opposition movement.

This 156 day trial saw him accused of using his tabloid, the pro democracy Apple Daily to lobby foreign nations to impose sanctions or blockades on China and Hong Kong.

And he was said to have incited hatred through 156 opinion pieces that he wrote.

His 2020 arrest came in the wake of the 2019 unrest and protest.

It was an apparently leaderless movement.

But Apple Daily, always wildly popular, was seen to be siding with the protest movement.

And now basically Jimmy Lai will be 94 if he gets out in 2044.

We're not seeing headlines about maximum sentence or life behind bars, but

it doesn't seem likely that he will be coming out considering his poor health.

What has been the reaction there in Hong Kong to the sentencing?

Well, celebratory among the establishment and locally, I have seen no criticism, to be honest.

The leader, John Lee, locally has said, you know, for sure he deserves his punishment after all the harm he has done.

The chief superintendent, Steve Lee of the National Security Department, he welcomed sentencing and also added that authorities are still investigating some matters.

They said that they could not speak right now.

And the Foreign Correspondence Club said that they would not give a comment for that.

But abroad, you know, Human Rights Watch and a litany of different NGOs have said this is effectively a death sentence.

Years of persecution show the Chinese government's determination to crush independent journalism.

And of course, his family have called this heartbreaking.

And the eu, UK and Australia have also criticized today's sentencing.

And I'm wondering what kind of impact this is going to have in Hong Kong, especially among those who might be critical of the way the territory is being governed.

It sounds like you're describing already a chilling effect.

Well, for the press, the changes are already baked in.

We knew that where this was going, you know, many years ago.

As for Hong Kongers, many have seen the Security Law unfold over the last five odd years with examples made of people a lot closer to home.

And Jimmy Lai, you know, jailings of civilians over slogans or T shirts or speech online, and

over 60 civil society groups, you know, gone just in the last few years.

So folks here know the process is not slowing down.

National security, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And there are millions of dollars, thousands of bureaucrats dedicated to ensuring, you know, that resistance to Beijing's rule is stamped out.

So not a huge lot is likely to change day, to be honest, as it's no surprises in China, of course not bending saying that lie deserved to be severely punished.

We know that Japan is voicing concerns over this sentence.

I mean, are we seeing any reaction to Lai's fate slowly coming in?

I mean, a China spokesman said this is reasonable, legitimate and legal.

Taiwan said the sentence was aiming to create a chilling effect across sectors and borders.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary seriously concerned.

And Australia has aired criticism as well.

Further afield, plenty of criticism from Western countries.

And we are just hearing that the UK Plans to expand its visa scheme for Hong Kong.

So thousands more would be welcome to move to the UK Tom Grundy, founder and editor in chief of the English newspaper the Hong Kong Free Press.

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International outcry over Hong Kong court's harsh sentence for Jimmy Lai | DW News

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