After 156 days of open court proceedings, more than 2,200 pieces of evidence presented by police, over 80,000 pages of documents, and an 855-page judgement, the Hong Kong High Court has today (Feb 9) sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison.
The court accused Lai, the founder of the now-defunct media company Next Digital and the Apple Daily newspaper, along with three companies affiliated with Apple Daily. He faced three charges, including two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications, all of which he was previously convicted of. Eight additional co-defendants had earlier pleaded guilty.
The sentencing took place this morning in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court, temporarily serving as the High Court. This case marks the first sentencing under the Hong Kong National Security Law for the offense of "collusion with foreign or external forces."
As the alleged mastermind behind the case, Lai had been accused of using Apple Daily to disseminate disinformation, engage foreign entities, and openly make remarks such as "fighting for America," which authorities charged as undermining China's national interests and Hong Kong's stability.
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