Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be sentenced on Monday following his December conviction in a landmark security case.
Lai, the pro-democracy founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, could face up to life in prison in the case against him under Beijing’s national security law.
He was convicted on charges of collusion and sedition in a case criticized by some foreign and Western governments.
The judiciary said on its website on Friday that it is calling for sentencing on Monday, February 9, at 10 a.m. She reserved an hour for the meeting.
Jimmy Lai, 78, also faces charges of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
What are the charges against Jimmy Laio?
Former media mogul Jimmy Lai was found guilty of using Apple Daily as a platform to conspire with six former executives and others to create inflammatory publications between April 2019 and June 2021.
Among the charges, he was also found guilty of colluding with foreign forces, including the US, between July 2020 and June 2021.
Lai was accused of conspiring with activist Andy Li, paralegal Chan Tsz-wah and others to induce foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockades and other hostile activities against China and Hong Kong.
Jimmy Lai, along with his other co-defendants — six former Apple Daily journalists and two activists — are expected back in court Monday to hear a decision that will shape their futures.
The former media mogul was an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party and was arrested in 2020 under a national security law that Beijing deemed necessary for the city’s stability following anti-government protests the previous year.
How did foreign countries react?
Following the December verdict, several foreign governments, including the UK and the US, criticized the verdict as politically motivated.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had a “respectful discussion” with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Lai during a recent trip to Beijing, but declined to provide details.
US President Donald Trump, who raised Lai’s case with China, said he felt “so bad”.
However, the Chinese government defended the decision, saying he was given a fair trial.
Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Hong Kong’s top judge, recently said calls for Lai’s early release would undermine the city’s legal order.
