Hong Kong: Media tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. BBC:

Hong Kong court jails media tycoon and British citizen Jimmy Lai for 20 years

8 February 2026


Jimmy Lai

Summary

A Hong Kong court jailed pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 years on Monday after he was found guilty of national security offences last December ...nThis is the harshest sentence under the controversial national security law, which China says is necessary for the city's stability

Lai, who is a British citizen, was one of the loudest critics of Beijing, often wielding his pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, as a tool of protest ... Six former executives of the paper were also jailed on Monday - from six years and nine months to 10 years ... Hailed a hero by the pro-democracy movement, Lai is seen as a traitor by Beijing. He has always denied the charges against him

The UK calls for the Chinese government to release Lai, saying it will "rapidly engage further" with Beijing. But Hong Kong's chief executive welcomes the sentence, saying Lai used "used Apple Daily to poison the minds of citizens"

Lai's son, Sebastien, tells the BBC his father's punishment is "basically a death sentence"

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