Incident
China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026
On December 15, 2025, the High Court of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China with its own courts, convicted Jimmy Lai, founder of the newspaper Apple Daily, on two counts of "conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces" under the National Security Law, which China's central government imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, and one count of "conspiracy to publish seditious publications." On February 8, 2026, the court sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison. Apple Daily shut down in June 2021 after its accounts were frozen and much of its top leadership was arrested. Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, called the charges "bogus."1
What happened
On December 15, 2025, the High Court of Hong Kong convicted the media owner Jimmy Lai on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law, a law China's central government imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material under sedition legislation dating from British colonial rule. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China with its own courts and legal system.2341
Lai, founder of the newspaper Apple Daily and the magazine Next Magazine, had been detained since his arrest in 2020. Apple Daily shut down in June 2021 after its accounts were frozen and much of its top leadership was arrested, and Next Magazine also closed.2341
On February 8, 2026, the court sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison. Human Rights Watch called the charges "bogus," and United Nations experts expressed dismay at the conviction.2341
Status as of 2026-09-22: In effect. Lai is imprisoned following his sentencing on February 8, 2026.4
What reason was given
Stated justificationHong Kong prosecutors alleged that Lai conspired with foreign forces and published seditious material through Apple Daily, and the authorities treated the case as a national security matter under the 2020 law. The court ruled that Lai was the "mastermind" of the alleged conspiracies in all three counts.2
What changed for reporting
Apple Daily and Next Magazine no longer publish. Apple Daily shut down in June 2021 after its accounts were frozen and much of its top leadership was arrested.3
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Department of Justice | enforced | Prosecuting authority, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Daily | outlet | affected |
| Next Magazine | outlet | affected |
| Jimmy Lai | journalist, Apple Daily | affected |
Sources
- Explainer: the decline of Hong Kong's press freedom under the National Security Law
- Hong Kong: Freedom in the World 2026
- Hong Kong Policy Act Report 2026
- Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai convicted on bogus national security charges
- Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Jimmy Lai was convicted on national-security and sedition charges.
On December 15, 2025, the High Court found Lai, 78, guilty of two counts of 'conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces' under the draconian National Security Law, and one count of 'conspiracy to publish seditious publications'
Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai convicted on bogus national security charges, Human Rights Watch, 2025-12-15.Claim 111, checked 2026-09-22. - Prosecutors framed the charges as a national-security matter tied to Apple Daily's coverage.
The court ruled that Lai was the 'mastermind' of the alleged conspiracies in all three counts.
Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai convicted on bogus national security charges, Human Rights Watch, 2025-12-15.Claim 83, checked 2026-09-22. - Apple Daily shut down in June 2021 after its accounts were frozen and its leadership arrested.
Apple Daily, says it is shutting down. Its accounts have been frozen and much of its top leadership has been arrested.
Explainer: the decline of Hong Kong's press freedom under the National Security Law, Hong Kong Free Press, 2026-05-03.Claim 84, checked 2026-09-22. - Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison and remains imprisoned.
The court ruled that Lai was the 'mastermind' of the alleged conspiracies in all three counts.
Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai convicted on bogus national security charges, Human Rights Watch, 2025-12-15.Claim 85, checked 2026-09-22.