WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 15, 2025 — Hong Kong’s High Court today pronounced publisher and democracy activist Jimmy Lai guilty on trumped-up national security and sedition charges for his work at the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper.
The verdict delivers yet another blow to Hong Kong’s press freedom and underscores the extent to which the Hong Kong authorities have eroded the city’s rule of law.
Lai was convicted by three handpicked judges, having been denied his constitutionally protected right to a jury trial, for “colluding with foreign forces” and for “conspiracy to publish seditious material.”
The first two of these charges fall under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) sweeping National Security Law, which was introduced in June 2020 following the 2019 democracy protests. Authorities allege Lai violated the law by talking to diplomats and politicians, raising human rights concerns, and publishing articles that gave Hong Kongers the information they needed to make free, informed decisions. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“This verdict should surprise absolutely no one,” said Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation UK and Europe Director Mark Sabah. “The trial against Jimmy Lai has been a grotesque exercise in legal subversion and chicanery — a show trial masquerading as justice. But what's actually been on display is the complete and total destruction of Hong Kong's reputation as a global legal center.
“Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. His release should be a condition of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's planned trip to Beijing in January.”
The verdict comes more than five years after Lai was initially arrested, on Aug. 10, 2020. His bail was revoked in December of the same year; since Dec. 31, 2020, he has spent more than 1,800 days in prison, mostly in solitary confinement. The 78-year-old, who has diabetes and whose health has been deteriorating because of inadequate medical care, is likely to die in prison unless he is released on humanitarian grounds.
“Jimmy Lai is guilty only of his unwavering belief in freedom for the people of Hong Kong,” said CFHK Foundation U.S. Director Jonathan Stivers. “The U.S. and international response must now be firm and resolute. Measures to hold Chinese and Hong Kong officials accountable should be immediately imposed by the Trump Administration if there is no progress on securing his humanitarian release from prison.
“Members of Congress should move forward and pass the bipartisan legislation already introduced in Congress including the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, the Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act, and the Stop CCP Money Laundering Act.”
Lai is an iconic figure in the battle between those who uphold democratic values and Hong Kong’s authoritarian government. His case exemplifies the Beijing-directed crackdown on Hong Kong’s press freedom, civil society, and rule of law.
His 156-day trial showed that he was guilty only of practicing journalism and highlighted Beijing’s determination to paint him as a criminal mastermind behind Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Lai’s trial did not even begin until three years after his initial detention, following repeated postponements as officials reworked laws to deny him his choice of lawyer.
He was tried alongside six of his Apple Daily colleagues — Cheung Kim-hung, the former CEO of Apple Daily/Next Digital; Ryan Law Wai-kwong, the former editor-in-chief; Chan Pui-man, the former associate publisher; Lam Man-chung, the former executive editor-in-chief; Fung Wai-kong, the former English edition editor-in-chief; and Yeung Ching-kee, a former editorial writer. All six pleaded guilty and were automatically convicted on all three charges.
Sentencing is expected at a later date.
CFHK Foundation U.S. and Canada Director Jonathan Stivers said:
“Jimmy Lai is guilty only of his unwavering belief in freedom for the people of Hong Kong. Contrary to Beijing’s intentions, the verdict today highlights Jimmy Lai’s courage and integrity and sends a clear message around the world that Hong Kong’s once proud judicial system is severely tarnished and under Beijing’s authoritarian control.
“The U.S. and international response must be firm and resolute. Measures to hold Chinese and Hong Kong officials accountable should be immediately imposed by the Trump Administration if there is no progress on securing his humanitarian release from prison. Members of Congress should move forward and pass the bipartisan legislation already introduced in Congress including the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, the Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act, and the Stop CCP Money Laundering Act.
“Jimmy Lai is an inspiration to freedom-loving people around the world. The governments of the UK, U.S., and the wider international community must stand with him and all political prisoners in Hong Kong.”
CFHK Foundation UK and Europe Director Mark Sabah said:
“This verdict should surprise absolutely no one. The trial against Jimmy Lai has been a show trial masquerading as justice. But what's actually been on display is the complete and total destruction of Hong Kong's reputation as a global legal center.
“Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. But instead of demanding the release of one of its own, the British government's response has been years of timid action and kowtowing to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). By abandoning one of its citizens, the British government has sent a clear and shameful message: trade access to the CCP matters more than the rule of law, press freedom, or the safety of British nationals abroad.
“In light of this verdict, the British government should postpone Prime Minister Keir Starmer's planned trip to Beijing in January until Lai’s release. Downing Street should impose travel bans and asset freezes on the judges who sat on the trial, namely Esther Toh, Alex Lee and Susana D'Almada Remedios. All foreign judges still serving on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal should also immediately resign their positions on the Hong Kong courts.
“We now wait for whatever sentence the Hong Kong authorities and the CCP conjure up to bring this five-year charade to an end. But make no mistake, the fight for freedom and justice will go on, not just for Jimmy Lai but for all political prisoners in Hong Kong.”
