Beijing’s Communists Fear Faith, Jimmy Lai’s Imprisonment Is Proof

Jimmy Lai, a 78 years old Hong Kong businessman, journalist, and devout Catholic, has become one of the most prominent symbols of Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in the former British colony.

 

Lai’s recent sentencing to 20 years in prison marks the culmination of a years-long politically motivated legal process. This punishment transcends ordinary incarceration and functions as a calculated execution by incarceration, thus, effectively condemning a frail elderly man to die behind bars for his outspoken advocacy of democracy and press freedom.

 

Born in mainland China, Jimmy Lai fled to Hong Kong as a child and built a business empire, founding the clothing retailer Giordano and later the media company Next Digital. In 1995, he launched Apple Daily, a tabloid known for its bold, pro-democracy stance and sharp criticism of both the Hong Kong and Beijing governments. A practicing Catholic, Lai has long integrated his faith into his public life, viewing his work as a defense of human dignity and freedom of conscience.

 

Lai emerged as a fierce critic of Beijing during Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy protests, and his newspaper provided extensive coverage and support for the movement, which Beijing saw as a threat to national security.

 

In August of 2020, shortly after Beijing imposed the sweeping National Security Law (NSL) on Hong Kong in June 2020, Lai was first arrested. The law criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with penalties up to life imprisonment.

 

Lai faced multiple charges over time, including fraud related to his company’s premises and unlawful assembly. The most significant case centered on national security offenses: two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the NSL and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material under colonial-era sedition laws.

 

Prosecutors alleged that Lai used Apple Daily to incite hatred, glorify violence, and lobby foreign entities (including U.S. politicians) to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong. Evidence included articles published in the newspaper and communications with overseas contacts.

 

Lai has consistently pleaded not guilty, describing himself as a “political prisoner” targeted for his beliefs.

 

After a lengthy trial lasting 156 days, he was convicted on December 15, 2025. On February 9, 2026, he received the 20-year sentence, the harshest imposed under the NSL to date. Co-defendants, including former Apple Daily executives and activists, received terms ranging from about 6 to 10 years.

 

At 78, Lai suffers from health issues, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure. Previously, he spent more than five years in detention, much of it in solitary confinement, with repeated bail denials despite medical concerns.

 

Groups such as Amnesty International have called the sentence a “cold-blooded attack on freedom of expression,” whilst the Society of Professional Journalists described it as “the equivalent to a death sentence” for the elderly publisher. Lai’s family, including his son Sebastien, has warned that he could die in prison, labeling him a potential “martyr.”

 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, deplored the verdict as a violation of international human rights law and urged Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian grounds, citing his age, health, and prolonged detention.

 

Governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom (where Lai holds citizenship), the European Union, Australia, and Japan, have also condemned the ruling as unjust and politically driven, calling for his release.

 

Hong Kong authorities and pro-Beijing figures, such as Chief Executive John Lee, have defended the sentence, praising it as appropriate for “heinous crimes” and “evil deeds” that endangered national security.

 

Lai’s case exemplifies the transformation of Hong Kong since the 2020 NSL. Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 amid raids and arrests, and independent media has largely been silenced. His punishment communicates that persistent criticism of Beijing, even through journalism or international advocacy, carries existential risks.

 

With the combination of severe charges, a bench of government-vetted judges, health deterioration in custody, and a term that could span Lai’s remaining life, many view his sentence not as punishment but as a deliberate means to eliminate a symbolic dissident.

 

Beijing has effectively signed off on Lai’s execution by prolonged incarceration.

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