Local court to deliver sentencing of anti-govt instigator Jimmy Lai’s case on Feb 9
By Published: Feb 06, 2026 01:12 PM
The HKSAR's High Court ruled on December 15, 2025 that Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The photo shows Lai being escorted away in a vehicle of the Correctional Services Department after the court ruling. Photo: VCG
The sentencing of the case of anti-government instigator and traitor Jimmy Lai will be delivered on at 10 am next Monday, according to the judiciary website of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Lai, the main defendant in the case, along with eight co-defendants who have pleaded guilty, will be sentenced on that day. Under the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, the offence of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, according to local media reports.
The HKSAR's High Court ruled on December 15 that Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
Lai, founder of Next Digital, three companies linked to Apple Daily, and six senior executives of the now-defunct newspaper — a total of 12 defendants — have been convicted of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious publications. Mitigation hearings were completed in mid-January this year, during which all defendants acknowledged the serious nature of the case, according to local media DotDotNews.
Some defendants argued that the sentencing starting point should be set at 10 years’ imprisonment, the lowest term applicable to “serious” cases under the law. A cooperating witness who testified in court against Lai also sought a discretionary reduction in sentence, the media report said.
Local media Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group said in an article on Friday that the trial of Jimmy Lai was conducted in an open and transparent manner, with extensive facts and evidence presented in court showing that Lai colluded with external forces and acted as a behind-the-scenes “mastermind” and financial backer of anti-China and destabilizing activities in the HKSAR.
The evidence revealed that he had long engaged in actions endangering national security, including appealing for foreign sanctions against China and the HKSAR, and that he showed no restraint even after the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong, the article said.
His actions caused serious harm to Hong Kong society and left deep pain among its residents. The Hong Kong SAR’s lawful conviction of Lai, in fulfilling its constitutional duty to safeguard national security, has strongly upheld the authority and dignity of the law and demonstrated the spirit of the rule of law in Hong Kong, the article added.
“It is worth noting in particular that eight of the defendants in the case pleaded guilty, a fact that rebuts smear campaigns from some Western media reports,” Willy Fu, a law professor who is also director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.
Hong Kong’s judicial authorities have handled the relevant cases strictly in accordance with the law, reflecting the spirit of the rule of law and fair justice. National security is of paramount importance, and the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong has effectively safeguarded national security as well as Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, Fu noted.
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