Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in national security case

Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for violating the national security law, local broadcaster RTHK reported on Monday.

In December 2025, the Hong Kong High Court found Lai guilty on all three counts of violating the national security law.

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The broadcaster notes that Lai’s sentence is the harshest yet handed down for violating the 2020 national security law.

Lai was detained in August 2020 on charges of collusion with foreign powers and fraud. In 2021, he was sentenced to a total of 20 months in prison for his role in organizing rallies during the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Despite serving that sentence, Lai remained in custody pending a Supreme Court hearing on more serious charges.