A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media mogul and critic of China, Jimmy Lai, to 20 years in prison. The sentencing was announced on Monday following his conviction in December 2025 on charges of colluding with foreign forces and conspiring to commit sedition. According to a brief court ruling, the decision was based on the seriousness of Lai’s criminal conduct. Lai has been in prison since 2020. When asked about a possible appeal, his lawyer Robert Pang declined to comment.

Jimmy Lai was a key figure in the 2019 pro-democracy protests that spread across Hong Kong. Following those demonstrations, Beijing introduced the National Security Law (NSL), claiming it was necessary for the city’s stability. However, critics argue that the law has been used to suppress dissent and imprison activists like Lai. He was arrested under the NSL in late 2020.

The sentencing underscores the continued enforcement of the National Security Law and its impact on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.