UN calls for release of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai following 20-year sentence

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk deplored the sentence imposed on Mr. Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, following his conviction on charges brought under security-related laws in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.

On 15 December 2025, the High Court found Mr. Lai guilty of conspiracy to publish seditious material under the Crimes Ordinance, as well as two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law (NSL).

Mr. Lai has denied all charges. The court’s decisions are subject to appeal.

Criminalising fundamental freedoms

Mr. Türk’s office, OHCHR, said it had reviewed the verdict and was concerned that it criminalised the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, media freedom and association.

It noted that the ruling relied extensively on conduct that occurred before the NSL came into force, reiterating concerns it had previously raised about the broad scope of the offence of “collusion with external forces” under the NSL.

“Jimmy Lai is a publisher sentenced to 20 years in prison for exercising rights protected under international law,” Mr. Türk said.

“This outcome highlights how the vague and overly broad provisions of Hong Kong’s national security legislation can lead to being interpreted and enforced in violation of Hong Kong’s international human rights obligations. This verdict needs to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law.”

Release on humanitarian grounds

High Commissioner Türk also appealed for Mr. Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian grounds, citing his age, health and the impact of the more than four years he has already spent in detention.

OHCHR expressed further concern that the judgment treated engagement by others with the United Nations and UN human rights mechanisms as relevant context in reaching its conclusion of guilt.

Worsening press freedom

Since the introduction of the NSL in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in 2024, press freedom in Hong Kong has sharply deteriorated, with numerous independent media outlets closed down by the State, dozens of journalists arrested, and foreign reporters facing tighter visa policies and accreditation requirements.

“This is part of a broader repressive trend in Hong Kong, where hundreds have been arrested and prosecuted under these laws,” Mr. Türk said.

Alongside Mr. Lai, six former Apple Daily staff members, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced on Monday to prison terms ranging from six to 10 years.

From 2020 to 2026, at least 385 individuals have been arrested and 175 convicted under national security-related offences, according to media reports citing official sources.