CPJ Condemns Conviction of Jimmy Lai, Urges China to Release Imprisoned Journalists
Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was arrested in 2020 under Hong Kong’s national security law, charged with colluding with foreign forces and sedition, amid Beijing’s crackdown on dissent post‑2019 protests. Jimmy Lai is a of 78‑Year‑Old British National.
CPJ condemns a Hong Kong court’s conviction of Jimmy Lai, founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, in a landmark national security trial. Authorities must immediately free the 78-year-old British national.
A three-judge panel convicted Lai on December 15 of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” and “conspiracy to publish seditious material.” The verdict was delivered in front of a packed courtroom at the Hong Kong High Court.
A pre-sentencing mitigation hearing will begin on January 12, with Lai facing a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lai’s health has worsened after spending five years in a maximum-security prison, mostly in solitary confinement with limited access to daylight and exercise. He has diabetes and has suffered from heart palpitations that require medication. More recently, his children have said that he is losing weight, his teeth are rotting, and his nails are falling off.
China consistently ranks as the world’s worst jailer of journalists, with at least 50 behind bars according to CPJ’s latest research. We call on the Chinese government to free Jimmy Lai and all detained journalists, and let them do their jobs safely without fear of reprisal.
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