Hong Kong court convicts pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai on foreign collusion and sedition charges

Jimmy Lai was convicted of foreign collusion and sedition under Hong Kong’s national security law, tightening Beijing’s grip on dissent.

The High Court in Hong Kong convicted Jimmy Lai on charges of foreign collusion and sedition, accusing him of seeking to topple the Chinese government through alleged conspiracies involving foreign powers. Lai, a vocal critic of Beijing and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, was arrested in 2020 after China implemented a national security law to stifle pro-democracy protests. The ruling further limits Hong Kong's political freedoms and judicial independence, as international observers denounced the trial’s fairness and the erosion of press freedoms. Political opponents have been jailed or forced into exile, and the city’s last pro-democracy party disbanded under pressure in mid-2025.