Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, appeared in Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday as judges began hearing mitigation pleas before his sentencing in a high-profile national security case.

Lai, convicted in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious material under Beijing-imposed security legislation, faces a possible life sentence if judges impose the maximum penalty.

The four-day hearing will allow Lai’s legal team to argue for leniency before formal sentencing is set at a later date.

Lai has denied the charges, but a panel of judges determined he played a central role in the alleged conspiracies, drawing international condemnation from governments and rights groups who see the case as emblematic of a broader decline in civil liberties and press freedom in Hong Kong.

Supporters queued outside the courthouse overnight in hopes of securing seats in the public gallery, underscoring the significant public and symbolic interest in the proceedings.

Six former senior Apple Daily executives and two activists involved in the same case have already pleaded guilty and may receive reduced sentences after cooperating with the prosecution, while Lai’s advocates emphasise his long-standing role as a vocal critic of Beijing and defender of free expression.

Lai’s deteriorating health, with reports of heart issues and weight loss after more than five years in custody, has also been raised by his family and observers as a factor in mitigation.

Hong Kong authorities maintain that the trial was conducted fairly under the law, and that national security considerations justify the stringent legal response.

As the mitigation hearing unfolds, the outcome will be closely watched by international governments and civil society groups concerned about the future of judicial independence and press freedom in the former British colony.