UN calls for ‘prompt quashing’ of Lai verdict
The UN and EU have condemned a Hong Kong court’s decision to sentence pro-democracy newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison.
The 78-year-old publisher of the banned Apple Daily newspaper was found guilty in December on two counts of foreign collusion, as well as one count of seditious publication, under a draconian national-security law imposed by China on the territory.
"After considering the serious and grave criminal conduct of Lai ... the court was satisfied that the total sentence for Lai in the present case should be 20 years' imprisonment," the judges ruled
Two years of the sentence will overlap with Lai's existing prison term, meaning that he will serve an additional 18 years.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk deplored the sentence.
"This verdict needs to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law," he said.
Media freedom
Türk’s office said it had reviewed the verdict and was concerned that it criminalised the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, media freedom and association.
It noted that the ruling relied extensively on conduct that occurred before the national-security law came into force, reiterating concerns it had previously raised about the broad scope of the offence of “collusion with external forces”.
“Jimmy Lai is a publisher sentenced to 20 years in prison for exercising rights protected under international law,” Türk said.
“This outcome highlights how the vague and overly broad provisions of Hong Kong’s national-security legislation can lead to being interpreted and enforced in violation of Hong Kong’s international human rights obligations.
“This verdict needs to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law.”
Since the introduction of the NSL in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in 2024, press freedom in Hong Kong had sharply deteriorated, with numerous independent media outlets closed down by the State, dozens of journalists arrested, and foreign reporters facing tighter visa policies and accreditation requirements, the UN statement added.
“This is part of a broader repressive trend in Hong Kong, where hundreds have been arrested and prosecuted under these laws,” Türk said.
Alongside Lai, six former Apple Daily staff members, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced on Monday to prison terms ranging from six to ten years.
From 2020 to 2026, at least 385 individuals have been arrested and 175 convicted under national-security-related offences, according to media reports citing official sources.
'Stop prosecuting journalists'
"The EU calls on the Hong Kong authorities to restore confidence in press freedom in Hong Kong... and to stop prosecuting journalists," EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Anitta Hipper also said.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said China and Hong Kong "have brought media influence and international connections within the scope of national-security measures, aiming to create a chilling effect across sectors and borders".
Lai, jailed since 2020, sat quietly in the dock as his sentence was read out.
He waved solemnly as he was led away in handcuffs to people in the public gallery, including his wife Teresa, former Hong Kong bishop Cardinal Joseph Zen and former Apple Daily reporters.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had raised the issue of Lai during his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.
US President Donald Trump has also called for Lai's release.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement before Lai's sentencing that his trial "has been nothing but a charade from the start and shows total contempt for Hong Kong laws that are supposed to protect press freedom".
Reporters Without Borders said Lai's sentencing "will resonate far beyond Jimmy Lai himself, sending a decisive signal about the future of press freedom in the territory".