Hong Kong’s judiciary on February 9 imposed a 20-year prison sentence on Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the 78-year-old founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, marking the harshest punishment yet handed down under the national security law imposed by Beijing.

The sentence follows Lai’s December conviction on multiple charges, including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious materials, concluding a legal saga that has spanned more than five years since his arrest in 2020. Lai’s conviction and punishment have become emblematic of the dramatic shift in Hong Kong’s political and legal landscape, with many observers viewing his fate as a stark indicator of how far freedoms once guaranteed under the city’s semi-autonomous status have receded.

Lai’s case has drawn widespread international attention and criticism, with foreign governments and rights organisations urging his release and condemning the sentence as disproportionate and punitive.

Critics contend that the application of national security legislation to his journalism and advocacy activities reflects a broader strategy to stifle dissent and consolidate control over Hong Kong’s civic space.

Supporters of Lai note that the severity of his sentence — the most severe in the history of cases brought under the security law — means he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Family members and advocates have expressed deep concern for his health and well-being behind bars, framing the sentence as a personal tragedy and a symbolic inflection point in Hong Kong’s struggle for democratic expression.

Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended the conviction and sentence as lawful and necessary to safeguard national security, asserting that Lai’s activities threatened the territory’s stability and legal order.

Officials have characterised his actions, including meetings with overseas figures and calls for international sanctions, as collusion with foreign forces aimed at undermining national interests.

They maintain that the ruling demonstrates the firm application of legal norms to conduct that violates the national security framework enacted in 2020.

The broader implications of Lai’s sentencing extend beyond one individual, feeding into a narrative about the erosion of civil liberties, press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong.

Once hailed as an open Asian financial hub with a vibrant press, the city has seen a sharp contraction in civic space since the introduction of the national security law.

Lai’s fate is widely interpreted as a sign of how legal mechanisms are now central to reshaping the political order, and many analysts view the case as a symbolic end to the era of robust, independent media advocacy in the territory.

Advocacy groups and some foreign governments have reiterated calls for respect for fundamental freedoms, even as Chinese and Hong Kong authorities insist the measures taken are essential to maintaining stability and national unity under the current constitutional arrangement.