Four years ago, five hundred agents raided the offices of Apple Daily, one of the most widely circulated newspapers in Hong Kong. For over five hours, the police meticulously searched all the offices and confiscated the journalists' computers. The operation ended with the arrest of five senior executives and editors of the newspaper, accused of publishing around thirty articles and opinion columns openly critical of the newly imposed national security law by the Chinese government. Some of these pieces were signed by the newspaper's founder, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who at that time was already in pretrial detention for a separate fraud case.
Shortly after that raid, Apple Daily announced its permanent closure. Founded by Lai in 1995, two years before Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty, the newspaper combined ambitious investigative reports with criticized social chronicle sections dedicated to the lives of local celebrities. However, its hallmark was always a markedly critical editorial line towards Beijing, a stance that intensified after the outbreak, in 2019, of mass pro-democracy protests that shook the city.
Exactly six years ago, Hong Kong was paralyzed by those massive demonstrations. The cycle of protests abruptly ended when the Chinese government, taking advantage of the empty streets caused by the early 2020 pandemic, imposed a national security law that uprooted the city's political and civil autonomy. The space of freedoms that had characterized Hong Kong evaporated almost immediately: dozens of activists and lawmakers were arrested, while many others chose exile. The offensive against press freedom began with Jimmy Lai's arrest and materialized with the raid on Apple Daily.
This Monday, 78-year-old Lai was found guilty of crimes against national security and sedition. According to the Hong Kong court's verdict, the businessman acted as the "mastermind" behind conspiracies aimed at destabilizing the Chinese government. He faces a possible life sentence, although the sentence will not be known until early 2026.
The news of Lai's conviction, who is a British citizen, has had a significant international impact because the trial, which lasted almost two years, was closely monitored by foreign governments and international observers, who have denounced the end of judicial independence and press freedom in the city. "It is a politically motivated trial. Jimmy Lai has been persecuted by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression," said UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper. Statements from London that come just weeks before the planned visit to Beijing by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Human rights groups condemned the verdict. Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, described the conviction as cruel and a sham. "The Chinese government's mistreatment of Jimmy Lai aims to silence anyone who dares to criticize the Communist Party", she stated. US President Donald Trump publicly promised to try to "save him." Washington officials said the Republican had raised the "difficult situation of Lai" with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the end of October in South Korea.
The accusation was staunchly defended by Judge Esther Toh, who argued that "there is no doubt that the accused never wavered in his intention to destabilize the Chinese Communist Party government." According to the court, Lai used his influence and wealth to fund a pro-democracy group that allegedly pressured foreign governments to impose sanctions against China and Hong Kong. Additionally, he was convicted of using Apple Daily to "publish seditious materials" between April 2019 and June 2021.
Lai was not the first businessman convicted under the national security law for "seditious articles." A few months after the raid on Apple Daily, another 200 agents entered the offices of Stand News, one of Hong Kong's most famous digital newspapers. Authorities froze the newspaper's assets, and the police arrested several editors, journalists, and shareholders, accused of "inciting hatred." Nearly three years later, the newspaper's two chief editors were found guilty of "conspiring to publish and reproduce seditious publications." The first of them, Chung Pui-kuen, was sentenced to 21 months in prison. The other editor, Patrick Lam, was sentenced to 14 months, but he has been released due to his delicate health condition.
"The tradition of the rule of law and civil liberties we had has disappeared. In this sense, Hong Kong has become just another province of China. They have censored hundreds of books and closed all independent media. Any public protest is considered an act of sedition and can be punished with up to life imprisonment. And what's worse, they have managed to turn Hongkongers against each other, offering rewards for citizens to be the first to report on the neighbor who rebels against the authoritarianism imposed on us by force," summarized an activist from Hong Kong who once held a seat in the local Parliament representing the Democratic Party in an interview with this newspaper. This party, which has traditionally been the leading opposition force, officially dissolved this Sunday.