Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital, along with three related companies of Apple Daily, has been convicted on two counts of "conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces to endanger national security" and one count of "conspiracy to publish seditious publications." On January 12 and 13, Lai and eight other guilty co-defendants completed their plea hearings. As the prosecution noted, under the intent of the Hong Kong National Security Law, cases involving foreign elements can be considered as aggravating factors, and this case involves meticulous planning and the misuse of a newspaper as a platform for criminal activity. During his remand, Lai continued to commit offenses related to this case, including instructing co-conspirators, such as former Apple Daily CEO Cheung Kim-hung, to operate Apple Daily as before, demonstrating his fundamental disregard for the rule of law, an additional aggravating factor.
The prosecution emphasized that under the Hong Kong National Security Law, the offense of "conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces to endanger national security" is subject to imprisonment for three to ten years; if the offense is serious, it can lead to life imprisonment or more than ten years' imprisonment.
The Severity of His Principal Offenses Is Clearly Evident
The trial for Jimmy Lai commenced on December 18, 2023, with a ruling on July 25, 2024, confirming the evidence, and on December 15, 2025, all charges were found to be true against Lai and the three related companies.
In the plea hearing on January 12, the deputy criminal prosecutor, Anthony Chau Tin-hang, began by discussing sentencing principles. He pointed out that the severity of the offenses involved, under the Hong Kong National Security Law, is classified into two tiers: imprisonment of three years to less than ten years, or life imprisonment and terms exceeding ten years for serious cases. The court must consider whether the offenses are "serious," with factors including premeditation, the role of the mastermind, the social context at the time of the crimes, and the potential damage and impact, such as the use of newspapers and the internet as platforms for criminal activity.
The evidence clearly indicates that Lai, as the principal perpetrator, bears significant culpability. He closely managed and directly controlled the editorial direction of Apple Daily, informing its executives of his political views. The court found that Lai deliberately utilized Apple Daily and his personal influence to conduct a sustained campaign aimed at undermining the legitimacy and authority of the central government, the Hong Kong SAR government, and their agencies, as well as damaging the relationship between the central government, the Hong Kong SAR government, and the residents of Hong Kong, exceeding the limits permitted by law.
The evidence also shows that Lai has long colluded with foreign anti-China forces to incite anti-China activities. Since the 1990s, he has interacted with Western forces and, after meeting former CIA employee Mark Simon, established a network of relationships within US military and political circles. Between 2013 and 2020, Lai transferred approximately HK$118 million to Mark Simon in 86 transactions, with HK$93 million used to support "pan-democratic" and related parties, effectively providing financial backing for anti-China activities. In court, Lai admitted to having claimed that he was "fighting for the US" and openly supported the Trump administration's hardline policies towards China while requesting US sanctions against China and the Hong Kong SAR.
Lai Used the Media to Glorify Violence And Incite Public Protests
Lai has also been the mastermind behind a series of anti-China disturbances in Hong Kong. In 2019, he used Apple Daily as a "funding pool for chaos" and a "manual for violence," glorifying violent acts by rioters and publishing materials teaching the use of violent tools. During the unrest, he repeatedly instructed Apple Daily to incite public protests, directing the media to interview specific individuals to stir up the masses and even funding activist Wayland Chen to collude with anti-China forces overseas, attempting to unify opposition forces against the SAR government, severely damaging Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
Intent to Seek "Sanctions" Even After the Implementation of the National Security Law
The court found that before the law's implementation, Lai openly and directly requested sanctions; even after its enactment, he switched to more subtle expressions, indicating his strategy had only changed in form, not substance, as he persisted in advocating for "sanctions." In fact, after the law's implementation, Lai wrote articles such as "time is a weapon" and "the great era is coming," asserting that the West's "sanctions" would not diminish and would have a prolonged impact on China's economy, further inciting Hong Kong residents to continue "resisting," thus reinforcing his anti-China position before the law's implementation and indirectly endorsing the effectiveness of foreign "sanctions" constitutes collusion, and his intent remains unchanged."
(Source: Wen Wei Po)
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