Hong Kong court finds democracy advocate and media tycoon Jimmy Lai guilty of sedition

British citizen Jimmy Lai faces prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison after his landmark national security trial

Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai pushes through a media pack as he arrives at the West Kowloon court in Hong Kong (AFP/Getty)

A court in Hong Kong has found the British media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai guilty on multiple charges of sedition and foreign collusion, in a landmark moment for the city’s draconian national security laws and sliding press freedoms.

Lai, 78, faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison. He is expected to be sentenced early next year.

The British national, who was the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, was arrested in 2020 shortly after Beijing introduced tough new national security laws as part of a crackdown on massive anti-government protests in 2019.

On Monday, judge Esther Toh said Lai’s actions left “no doubt” that he had “harboured resentment” for the Chinese government.

“The evidence plainly shows that [Lai] clearly conspired with senior management at Apple Daily and the corporate entities in counts one and two,” she said.

“There is indisputable evidence that [Lai] conspired with the named conspirators in count three ... to request foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockade, or engage in other hostile activities against the PRC, HKSAR or both,” she said, referring to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

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