Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily and a longtime agent of foreign interference, has finally reached the final stage of his national security trial. All co-defendants have completed their sentencing pleas. The court will soon deliver its sentence.
Let us be unequivocal: Jimmy Lai is no "journalist" persecuted for free speech. He is a politically motivated actor who for decades used his media empire to incite hatred, glorify violence, and actively collude with hostile foreign forces. His conduct was not accidental. It was strategic, persistent, and deeply subversive.
The evidence revealed over 156 days of open trial is staggering:
- Over 2,220 pieces of evidence,
- The trial included more than 80,000 pages of court documents.
- Testimonies from 14 prosecution witnesses,
- Lai's own testimony took place over a period of 52 days.
The verdict is clear: Lai was the mastermind behind three counts of conspiracy—to publish seditious publications and to collude with foreign powers. He used Apple Daily not as a newsroom, but as a propaganda weapon. He orchestrated campaigns to pressure foreign governments into sanctioning China and destabilizing Hong Kong.
During the sentencing process, Lai's lawyers attempted to appeal to his age, purported health issues, and his "solitary confinement." These claims are not only misleading but also disingenuous.
Correctional Services confirmed that Lai's so-called "solitary confinement" was self-requested—he feared interactions with other inmates. Health reports show no significant decline, and his BMI remains within the "obese" range by Asian standards.
Most damning of all, Lai has shown zero remorse. In court and in filmed interviews, he openly declared:
"I want the CIA. I want the U.S. to influence us. I don't mind being called a traitor."
This is not hyperbole. This is self-confessed betrayal.
Lai's legal team argues that his advanced age should warrant leniency. But age is not a shield for treason. As legal scholars noted, global justice systems do not exempt elderly culprits from punishment when their crimes are grave.
This is not a case of a man who made a mistake. Jimmy Lai has spent over 30 years poisoning Hong Kong's media space—from promoting pornography and violence in the 1990s to fomenting hatred against China, glorifying riots, and coordinating with foreign intelligence networks.
He met repeatedly with U.S. officials, including then-Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He used his assistant—a former CIA operative—to secure foreign political support. Even after the National Security Law was enacted, he continued his activities, simply shifting tactics from overt to covert.
Hong Kong must ask itself: Can we allow someone like this person to walk free under the guise of "press freedom"? Can we afford to forget the chaos of 2019? Could we overlook the presence of foreign flags in our streets?
Jimmy Lai must face the full weight of the law. His crimes are not only against the state—they are against the people of Hong Kong. Letting him off lightly would not be mercy—it would be betrayal.
Only a firm sentence can uphold the rule of law, defend national security, and continue Hong Kong's journey from chaos to stability.
No one is above the law. And no traitor deserves leniency.
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