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HONG KONG, February 15, 2026 — The High Court has sentenced Jimmy Lai, the 78‑year‑old founder of the now‑defunct Apple Daily, to 20 years in prison under national security legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020. The ruling represents the harshest penalty yet under the law and is widely regarded by international observers as tantamount to a life sentence for the veteran publisher, who has already spent more than five years in detention.
Six former executives and senior editors of Apple Daily were also convicted, receiving prison terms ranging from six to ten years. Among them were executive editor‑in‑chief Lam Man‑chung and editor‑in‑chief Ryan Law, each sentenced to ten years. The charges included conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious materials, with prosecutors citing articles and editorials produced during the 2019 pro‑democracy protests.
In its judgment, the court described the defendants’ activities as a grave threat to national stability, asserting that the newspaper had been used to manipulate public sentiment. Critics, however, note that the prosecution relied heavily on standard journalistic practices long accepted in Hong Kong’s media environment. The closure of Apple Daily in 2021, following a police raid and the freezing of its assets, marked the beginning of a sharp decline in press freedom across the territory.
The sentences have drawn strong international reaction. The United Nations and several foreign governments expressed concern over Lai’s health, citing his diabetes and hypertension, and warned that the ruling effectively criminalizes critical reporting. Human rights advocates argue that the case signals a fundamental shift in Hong Kong’s legal environment, where political commentary and investigative journalism are increasingly treated as security threats.
Inside the courtroom, family members of the accused wept as the sentences were read. Outside, analysts said the convictions confirm that the boundaries of expression in Hong Kong have been permanently redrawn. With no independent outlets of comparable scale remaining, local journalists now operate under pervasive self‑censorship, closing a chapter in which the city was once regarded as a regional hub for free information.
