Outrage as 78-Year-Old Jailed for Journalism

A 78-year-old publisher languishes behind bars for two decades not for violence or espionage, but for the unforgivable crime of running a newspaper that told the truth about Communist China.

Story Snapshot

Jimmy Lai, founder of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, received a 20-year prison sentence under Hong Kong’s National Security Law for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious material
The UN human rights chief condemned the verdict as violating international law and called for Lai’s immediate release, citing his age, health, and over four years already spent in detention without bail
Six Apple Daily staff members received concurrent sentences ranging from 6 to 10 years, highlighting a systematic crackdown on independent media in Hong Kong
Since 2020, authorities have arrested 385 people and secured 175 convictions under security laws, effectively dismantling Hong Kong’s once-vibrant free press

When Journalism Becomes a National Security Threat

Hong Kong’s High Court delivered Jimmy Lai’s sentence on February 9, 2026, following his December 2025 conviction. The charges stemmed from his newspaper’s critical coverage of Beijing and his engagement with international figures advocating for Hong Kong’s autonomy. Authorities convicted him of conspiracy to publish seditious material and two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. The court treated conduct that occurred before the National Security Law’s implementation as criminal, a retroactive application that raises fundamental questions about the rule of law. The court also deemed Lai’s engagement with United Nations representatives an aggravating factor, effectively criminalizing communication with international human rights bodies.

The Weapon of Vague Laws

China imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong in June 2020 following massive pro-democracy protests that shook the territory. The law grants sweeping powers to prosecute offenses defined in disturbingly broad terms: secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. The 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance expanded these already expansive powers further. The vagueness serves a purpose. When authorities can interpret almost any dissent as a national security threat, they possess unlimited power to silence opposition. This represents the antithesis of the common law tradition Hong Kong inherited from British rule, where laws must provide clear notice of prohibited conduct.

From Media Mogul to Political Prisoner

Lai built Apple Daily into Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy voice, offering critical perspectives on Beijing’s increasing control over the territory. A British-Hong Kong dual citizen and Catholic convert, he became an icon of resistance against Communist Party authoritarianism. Authorities arrested him in 2020 and held him without bail for over four years before sentencing, a detention period that itself violates basic principles of justice. The forced closure of Apple Daily eliminated Hong Kong’s loudest independent voice. The message was unmistakable: speak against the regime and face financial ruin, imprisonment, or both.

The Systematic Destruction of Press Freedom

Lai’s case represents just the visible peak of a comprehensive assault on journalism. Authorities arrested dozens of journalists, shuttered independent outlets, and restricted foreign reporters through visa denials. The statistics tell a devastating story: 385 arrests and 175 convictions under security laws between 2020 and 2026. Hong Kong once stood as Asia’s freest press hub, a place where journalists could report on China without fear. That Hong Kong has vanished. Reporters Without Borders declared the sentencing exposed the complete collapse of press freedom, using charges they deemed spurious to silence legitimate journalism.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a forceful condemnation, stating that Jimmy Lai received 20 years for exercising rights protected under international law. Amnesty International called the sentence a cold-blooded attack on freedom of expression. These international voices matter, but they lack enforcement power. Beijing operates beyond the reach of moral suasion, viewing international criticism as interference in domestic affairs. The Chinese Communist Party promised Hong Kong autonomy under the “one country, two systems” framework until 2047, but systematically dismantled that promise decades early.

What This Means for Freedom Everywhere

The implications extend far beyond one man or one city. Beijing’s Hong Kong strategy serves as a blueprint for controlling dissent through ostensibly legal mechanisms. The National Security Law provides a veneer of legitimacy while gutting fundamental freedoms. Lai’s treatment sends an unambiguous warning to journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens: challenge Communist Party authority and face destruction. The long-term damage to Hong Kong’s international standing as a financial and media hub remains incalculable. Foreign companies and journalists now understand they operate at the regime’s pleasure, subject to arbitrary detention under vague national security provisions.

Lai has indicated plans to appeal, though the likelihood of success appears minimal given the political nature of his prosecution. His advanced age and deteriorating health add humanitarian urgency to calls for his release. A 78-year-old man spending his final years imprisoned for journalism represents a moral indictment of the system that jailed him. The six Apple Daily staff members sentenced alongside him face 6 to 10 years each, their careers destroyed and families shattered for practicing journalism.