HONG KONG (AP) — Jimmy Lai , the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and a fierce critic of Beijing , was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison in the longest punishment given so far under a China-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the city’s dissent. Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the security law in 2020. “It signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice,” he said. Hong Kong ranked 140th out of 180 territories in the press-freedom index compiled by media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders in 2025, far from its 18th place in 2002. “Obviously, he has done nothing good for Hong Kong that could serve as a basis for his mitigation,” he told reporters.

Source: Daily Sun February 09, 2026 06:40 UTC