Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

DID Press: Jimmy Lai, a media tycoon and pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong, sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges related to national security offenses.

His family has described the ruling as “cruel” and warned that it may lead to his death in prison.

According to reports, Lai’s daughter, Clare Lai, said given her father’s deteriorating health, this sentence is “heartbreaking and unjust” and could result in “his death as a martyr behind bars.”

This sentencing marks the end of a years-long legal battle.

In December, Lai was found guilty of “sedition” and “collusion with foreign forces,” charges he has consistently denied, maintaining his innocence. Under national security laws, conviction on charges of collusion with foreign forces can carry a life sentence.

Lai, the founder of a media empire and a vocal critic of Beijing, has become one of the most high-profile individuals arrested under Hong Kong’s national security law in recent years.