A Hong Kong court sentenced media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, 78, to 20 years in prison Monday for conspiracy to collaborate with foreign forces and publishing seditious material.
Lai's trial has repeatedly drawn international criticism, particularly from the United Kingdom and the United States, with Donald Trump saying during his presidential campaign that he wanted to free Lai from prison.
Critics have described the case as politically motivated and said it was evidence of the erosion of press freedom and civil liberties in the Chinese special administrative region.
The Hong Kong government has rejected these claims, saying the case was unrelated to press freedom and aimed solely at enforcing the law.
Lai, who also holds a British passport and who founded the pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, has been in prison since 2021, having previously being sentenced to two prison terms.
Apple Daily was shut down in 2021 after authorities investigated alleged violations of the national security law imposed by Beijing in Hong Kong in 2020.
The security law targeted the pro-democracy opposition and activities that Beijing classifies as subversive, separatist, terrorist or in collusion with foreign forces.
Lai's defense has, in recent weeks, sought a reduced sentence, citing his health. His lawyer, Robert Pang, cited medical conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes, while prosecutors dismissed concerns about any deterioration in Lai's condition in prison, describing his health as "stable."
