Hong Kong's most vocal critic of China, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, ending the city's biggest national security law case that has sparked international concern about Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy.
Laj's conviction on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious material ends a legal saga that has lasted nearly five years.
Lai, the founder of the defunct Apple Daily, was first arrested in August 2020 and convicted last year, Reuters reports.
His 20-year sentence is within the strictest "range" provided for acts of a "serious nature" and represents the most severe sentence imposed to date, the three national security judges said.
The judges said the sentence was enhanced by the fact that Lai was the "brains of the operation" and the driving force behind the "persistent" plots regarding foreign collaboration.
They cited prosecution evidence that the conspiracies sought to induce sanctions, blockades and other hostile actions by the United States and other countries, and that they involved a network of people including Apple Daily employees, activists and foreigners, Reuters reports.
In addition to Lai, six former senior employees of Apple Daily, one activist and one legal assistant were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to 10 years.
"In this case, Lai was undoubtedly the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged against him and therefore deserves a harsher sentence," the judges stated.
"As for the others, it is difficult to distinguish their relative guilt."
The 78-year-old, a British citizen, denied all charges, telling the court he was a "political prisoner" facing persecution from Beijing.
Lai's position has been criticized by world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, drawing further attention to years of national security-based tightening of the reins in the Chinese-run Asian financial hub following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Those concerns were partly related to Lai's long-standing international profile as a pro-democracy critic of the Chinese Communist Party leadership, as well as his broad political connections, particularly among American Republicans - connections that prosecutors pointed to during the trial.
At the height of the protests, in July 2019, Lie met with then-US Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington.
Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, saying it was necessary to stabilize the city after months of sometimes violent unrest.
The case has sparked calls for Lai to be released; friends and supporters claim he is in failing health, suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, said outside Hong Kong that the ruling was "devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father" and marked the "complete destruction" of Hong Kong's legal system.
"After more than five years of relentless persecution of my father, it is time for China to do the right thing and release him before it is too late."
"The harsh 20-year sentence against 78-year-old Jimmy Lai is effectively a death sentence," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "A sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and deeply unjust."
The judges said they were reluctant to grant Laj a reduction due to his health, age and solitary confinement, but acknowledged that serving his sentence would be "more difficult" than for other prisoners. They reduced his sentence by one month for each count of rebellion and one year for each count of collusion with foreign forces.
Beijing and Hong Kong officials said Lai had a fair trial and that everyone is equal before the national security law, which they say was crucial for restoring order in the city.
Starmer, according to people familiar with the discussions, raised the issue of Lai, who has British citizenship, and called for his release during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.
Trump also raised Lai's case with Xi during a meeting in October. Several Western diplomats told Reuters that negotiations for Lai's release could likely begin in earnest now that he has been sentenced.
His lawyer, Robert Peng, said he could not comment when asked whether Lai would appeal, adding that he has 28 days to do so.
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