Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent

Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong pro-democracy figure, sentenced to 20 years in prison

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai is arrested by police at his home in April 2020
Jimmy Lai is arrested by police at his home in April 2020. The media tycoon was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP

Jimmy Lai, the media mogul and prominent pro-democracy activist, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for national security offences, a punishment his daughter said could mean “he will die a martyr behind bars”.

Claire Lai said the sentence was “heartbreakingly cruel” given her 78-year-old father’s declining health, while her brother Sebastien Lai called the sentence “draconian” and “devastating”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.