US EditionHong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai's Health in Focus at Mitigation Hearing
Defense lawyers present sentencing arguments for Jimmy Lai and eight co-defendants convicted under Hong Kong's national security law amid increased related arrests in 2025, officials said.
- On Jan 12, a mitigation hearing began at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, Hong Kong, for Jimmy Lai and eight co-defendants before three High Court judges, with arguments scheduled for four days.
- Last month, Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was found guilty under the national security law of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and sedition; he has been detained since 2020.
- Among those in court were six former Apple Daily/Next Digital staff including Cheung Kim-hung and Ryan Law, while judges upheld convictions of Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and AD Internet Limited, and confirmed guilty pleas from co-defendants Chan Tsz-wah and Li Yu-hin.
- Lai faces a wide potential sentence range, including up to life imprisonment if deemed a principal offender, while the sedition charge carries a two-year maximum; no sentencing date has been set and Lai can appeal.
- Rights groups and foreign governments have reacted by condemning the conviction, with Amnesty International calling it `feels like the death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong` and police imposing strict security measures on January 12.
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44 Articles
Observador
Correio da ManhãJimmy Lai, founder of the Apple Daily magazine and critic of the Chinese regime, was arrested in 2020. Conciliation under national security law can be punished with 3 years' imprisonment.
In their 856-page verdict, the judges wrote that the ex-magnat "fed his resentment and hatred towards (China) for much of his adult life" and that he sought to "reverse the Chinese Communist Party".
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayHong Kong court to hear sentencing arguments for media tycoon Jimmy Lai
HONG KONG, Jan 12 — A Hong Kong court will hear sentencing arguments today for pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was convicted of national security crimes that could land him in prison for life.Lai was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion last month under a sweeping national security law that was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the Chinese finance hub a year ea…
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