Hong Kong court to hear plea for lighter sentence in pro-democracy ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai's case

HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court convenes a hearing on Monday to hear arguments about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime media magnate Jimmy Lai, whose conviction under a national security law could land him in jail for the rest of his life.

Lai, 78, is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and an outspoken critic of China's ruling Communist Party. He was arrested in 2020 under the law imposed by Beijing following massive anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong the year before.

In December, he was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles.

His conviction has raised concerns about the curtailing of press freedom in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

His case could also be a test for Beijing's diplomatic ties. The verdict drew criticism from foreign governments, including the U.S. and Britain. After the verdict, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had raised Lai's case with China, said he felt ''so badly.''

Lai is expected to appear in court, alongside other co-defendants involved in the case, to plead for shorter sentences during the four-day process, called ''mitigation" hearings. The maximum penalty for their convictions is life imprisonment. Sentencing will come later.

Before sunrise, dozens of people were already in line outside the court building to secure a seat in the public gallery. Retiree Simon Ng, a former Apple Daily reader, said he arrived and stayed in the queue since Friday morning, hoping to see Lai.

Judges ruled Lai was the mastermind

Lai was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, in addition to one count of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A conviction on the collusion charge under the security law results in a sentence ranging from three years in jail to life, depending on the offense's nature and his role in it. The sedition charge under a separate, colonial-era law carries a maximum of two years' imprisonment.

Three government-vetted judges wrote in their December verdict that Lai spearheaded the conspiracies and took issue with what they called his ''constant invitation'' to the United States to bring down the Chinese government with the excuse of helping Hong Kongers.

Lai's lawyers admitted during the trial that he had called for foreign sanctions before the national security law took effect, but insisted he dropped these calls to comply with the law. They also argued on freedom of expression grounds.

They ruled that the only reasonable inference from the evidence was that Lai's only intent, both before and after the security law, was to seek the downfall of the party at the expense of the people of China and Hong Kong. They emphasized that Lai was not on trial for his political views.

Beijing has opposed what it called the smearing of Hong Kong's judiciary ''by certain countries,'' saying the judicial authorities perform duties according to the law.

Others have a chance of lighter sentences

Six ex-Apple Daily senior executives and two activists involved in Lai's case had entered guilty pleas, admitting that they had conspired with Lai and others to request foreign forces to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities.

The executives were publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung and editorial writers Fung Wai-kong and Yeung Ching-kee. Some of them, alongside the two activists Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, served as prosecution witnesses during the 156-day trial.

Lai has spent five years in custody and has become visibly thinner. In August, his lawyers told the court that he suffered from heart palpitations. Hong Kong's government said no abnormalities were found during a medical examination that followed Lai's health complaints. After the verdict, his daughter, Claire, said Lai would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released.