UN Rights Chief Condemns 20-Year Sentence of Hong Kong Publisher Jimmy Lai

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has strongly deplored the 20-year prison sentence imposed on Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, warning that the verdict represents a grave assault on press freedom and fundamental rights in Hong Kong.

Mr Lai, 78, was sentenced on Monday under Hong Kong's national security legislation following convictions handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on 15 December 2025. He was found guilty of conspiracy to publish seditious material under the Crimes Ordinance and two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law (NSL). Mr Lai has denied all charges. The verdicts remain subject to appeal.

UN Warns Verdict Criminalises Free Expression

The UN Human Rights Office said it has reviewed the judgment and is deeply concerned that it criminalises the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, media freedom and association, drawing heavily on conduct that occurred before the NSL came into force in 2020.

The Office reiterated earlier concerns that the NSL's broadly defined offence of "collusion with external forces" risks capturing legitimate activities of journalists and civil society, including engagement with international human rights mechanisms.

"Jimmy Lai is a publisher sentenced to 20 years in prison for exercising rights protected under international law," Mr Türk said.

"This outcome highlights how vague and overly broad provisions of Hong Kong's national security legislation are being interpreted and enforced in ways that violate Hong Kong's international human rights obligations."

The High Commissioner called for the verdict to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law.

Call for Immediate Release on Humanitarian Grounds

Mr Türk also appealed for Jimmy Lai's immediate release on humanitarian grounds, citing his advanced age, health concerns, and the impact of having already spent more than four years in detention.

The UN Human Rights Office further expressed alarm that the court treated engagement with the United Nations and UN human rights mechanisms by others as relevant context in reaching its conclusion of guilt.

Press Freedom in Sharp Decline

Since the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in 2024, press freedom in Hong Kong has deteriorated sharply.

According to the UN:

• multiple independent media outlets have closed

• dozens of journalists have been arrested

• foreign reporters have faced tightened visa and accreditation restrictions

"This is part of a broader repressive trend in Hong Kong, where hundreds have been arrested and prosecuted under these laws," Mr Türk said.

Alongside Mr Lai, six former Apple Daily staff members, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced on Monday to prison terms ranging from six to 10 years under national security-related charges.

Hundreds Arrested Under Security Laws

From 2020 to 2026, at least 385 individuals have been arrested and 175 convicted for national security-related offences, according to media reports citing official sources.

The High Commissioner again urged the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained under national security legislation and called for the repeal or amendment of the laws to bring them into line with international human rights standards.

He reaffirmed his readiness to engage constructively with Hong Kong authorities to ensure compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which remains applicable in Hong Kong SAR.