Hong Kong‘s legal system sentenced pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on Monday after he was charged with violating China‘s national security law.
In December, Lai was convicted of colluding with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiring to publish seditious materials. Lai, a British citizen, pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from his pro-democracy advocacy and journalism amid the anti-government protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.
Beijing cracked down on the demonstrations at the time, imprisoning thousands of people for protesting China’s control over Hong Kong. The Chinese territory is considered semiautonomous. Lai was one of many who were later prosecuted and convicted.
Lai, 78, is known for running the shuttered Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, which was known for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. He has already spent more than five years in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison after initially being arrested in 2020 on fraud charges.
Lai’s new 20-year sentence marks the longest under China’s national security law.
Six former Apple Daily employees were also sentenced on Monday, with their terms ranging from six to 10 years.
Hong Kong leaders welcomed Lai’s punishment, while Western nations and human rights groups were appalled.
The United Kingdom is calling on Hong Kong to release Lai on humanitarian grounds over his ailing health conditions, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed Lai’s imprisonment with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing late last month.
President Donald Trump has indicated he is aware of Lai’s situation, although he hasn’t taken further action to force Beijing to release him beyond asking Xi to consider it.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry insisted Lai’s sentence is an internal matter and that other countries should respect the Hong Kong court’s decision.
CHINA CONVICTS HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER JIMMY LAI OF SEDITION
“We urge relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty and abide by the rule of law in Hong Kong,” the spokesman said. “They must not make irresponsible remarks about” Hong Kong’s legal proceedings.
Beijing’s response came after Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) issued a statement urging his colleagues to pass a bipartisan bill that would close Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco.