A Hong Kong court found Jimmy Lai, the prominent pro-democracy activist and media entrepreneur, guilty of sedition and colluding with foreign forces on Monday. Lai, 78, was convicted under the territory’s sweeping national security law, which was imposed by Beijing in 2020 following mass pro-democracy protests a year earlier.
Lai, known for his outspoken criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, had denied two charges of colluding with foreign entities as well as a conspiracy charge linked to the publication of seditious materials. He has been detained since 2020 and his trial began in December 2023.
Lai, a significant figure in Hong Kong’s media landscape, founded the Giordano clothing chain, newspaper Apple Daily, and Next Digital, a digital media company. His case drew international attention, with U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly raising Lai’s imprisonment with President Xi Jinping during an October meeting in South Korea, according to Reuters.
This verdict marks the latest chapter in a broader tightening of Hong Kong’s political climate since the national security law’s introduction. The region has witnessed a marked decline in democratic opposition, with sweeping changes to its electoral system in 2021 reducing the proportion of directly elected lawmakers and restricting candidacy to Beijing-approved “patriots.”
Lai’s conviction follows significant political developments in Hong Kong over the weekend, including the disbandment of the region’s final pro-democracy party after 31 years, and a “patriots-only” legislative election registering one of the lowest voter turnouts in local history.
