Hong Kong: NUJ condemns sentencing of Jimmy Lai
The NUJ has condemned the 20-year prison sentence handed to Hong Kong media magnate, Jimmy Lai, following a “politically motivated” conviction to silence free speech.
Lai was convicted by Hong Kong’s High Court on 15 December under the city’s draconian national security law and has since been awaiting sentencing.
The 78-year-old had already been detained for more than 1,800 days since his arrest in 2020. The verdict has been described as essentially a “death sentence” by his family members.
Lai’s sentencing and conviction have also been decried by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and a host of governments, human rights groups, press freedom bodies, and trade unions.
Lai was found guilty on two counts of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” under National Security Law and one count of “conspiracy to publish seditious publications” under the Crimes Ordinance, in a trial lasting nearly two years amid repeated delays and interventions.
In her verdict, judge Esther Toh said Lai had clearly “harboured his hatred and resentment” for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with the intent to “seek the downfall” of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Over the years, Lai has been arrested and prosecuted multiple times for his pro-democracy activism and criticism of the CCP’s encroachment on Hong Kong’s autonomy.
According to the IFJ’s annual Killed List for 2025, China (including Hong Kong) continues to be the world’s worst jailer of media workers with 143 currently imprisoned. The IFJ has continued to document the effective destruction of civil liberties and press freedom since the introduction of the National Security Law.
Lee Cheuk-yan, general-secretary of the defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), is another high-profile individual prosecuted under the law. He is facing yet another trial in court for exercising freedom of association rights and could receive a 10-year prison sentence if found guilty of inciting subversion of the state power of China.
The NUJ has joined the IFJ in calling for the immediate release of Lai, Cheuk-yan, and other trade unionists and journalists detained in Hong Kong.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:
“The NUJ decries the politically motivated conviction and sentencing of Jimmy Lai by the Hong Kong courts as well as the continuous persecution he has faced at the hands of the authorities. Journalists should always be free to report on events in the public interest without fear of legal repercussions. Instead, as we have seen, draconian laws and processes in Hong Kong, and other parts of the world, routinely restrict freedom of expression and punish those who seek to speak truth to power. The NUJ joins the IFJ in calling for Lai’s immediate release and for all charges against him to be dropped.
“The NUJ will continue urging the UK government to exert pressure to stop the persecution of journalists and trade union leaders in Hong Kong and around the world.”