Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Found Guilty of Collusion Amidst Controversial National Security Law

Sun Feb 15 2026 03:55:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy advocate in Hong Kong, has been convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the national security law, highlighting ongoing concerns over judicial independence and freedom of expression in the region.

Hong Kong pro-democracy figure and media mogul Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces as part of the national security law, facing a potential life sentence. This ruling has sparked significant backlash from human rights advocates, who claim the law is being used to suppress dissent. Despite denials from Lai, who has been imprisoned since 2020, the case illustrates the deteriorating landscape of civil liberties and judicial independence in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law (NSL).

The 78-year-old, who has been in jail since December 2020, pleaded not guilty. He faces life in prison and is expected to be sentenced early next year.

Lai used his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper as part of a wider effort to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China, the court found.

Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee welcomed the verdict, noting that Lai's actions damaged the country's interests and the welfare of Hong Kongers, but rights groups called it a cruel judicial farce.

They say the NSL, which Beijing defends as essential for the city's stability, has been used to crush dissent.

There is no doubt that Jimmy Lai harboured hatred for the People's Republic of China (PRC), Judge Esther Toh said on Monday, citing his constant invitation to the US to help bring down the government of the PRC with the excuse of helping the people of Hong Kong.

When Lai testified in November, he denied all the charges against him, saying he had never used his foreign contacts to influence foreign policy on Hong Kong.

Lai, a UK citizen and one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state, was a key figure in the pro-democracy protests that engulfed Hong Kong in 2019. Beijing responded to the months-long demonstrations, which sometimes erupted into violent clashes with police, by introducing the NSL.

The law was enacted without consulting the Hong Kong legislature and gave authorities broad powers to charge and jail people they deemed a threat to the city's law and order, or the government's stability.

Lai now joins dozens of figures of the city's pro-democracy movement who have been sentenced to prison under the NSL.

Lai's trial has stirred global criticism and raised alarms about judicial independence in Hong Kong, viewed by many as a litmus test of the city’s legal system under increasing pressure from Beijing.

In a broader context, the severity of Lai's verdict reflects the ongoing struggle for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, as the international community watches the developments unfold.