His wife, Teresa, was grim-faced and made no comment as she left the court, but two of his children based overseas condemned the sentence.
Lai’s son Sebastien called on US President Donald Trump to raise the case with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
“The president interceding in my father’s case will show Xi Jinping how much of a mistake it is, the persecution of my father,” he told AFP in London, where he lives.
The mogul’s daughter Claire called it “a heartbreakingly cruel sentence” which, because of his deteriorating health, effectively meant “he will die a martyr behind bars”.
Lai has 28 days to lodge an appeal, but his lawyer declined to say if he would do so.
The United States criticised the decision as “unjust and tragic,” and reiterated its call for Lai to be granted humanitarian parole.
The ruling “shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms”, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
‘Appalling ordeal’
Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee lauded the “severe” prison term, saying it “brings great relief to all” and demonstrated how the city upheld the rule of law.
Beijing also praised the outcome as “reasonable, legitimate and legal”.
The commissioner of China’s foreign ministry in Hong Kong wrote to foreign media outlets, including AFP, on Monday and urged them to “report on the case with objectivity and fairness, refraining from politicising legal matters”.
Washington’s reaction added to a chorus of international condemnation, including from the European Union, Australia, Japan and advocacy groups.
“This verdict needs to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement that described the national security law as “vague and overly broad”.
Human Rights Watch said the penalty was “effectively a death sentence” given Lai’s age, calling it “cruel and profoundly unjust”.
Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said, “Today’s egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong”.
Hong Kong most recently ranked 140th in the world for press freedom, down from 70th a decade ago, according to Reporters Without Borders.
Health issues
The three High Court judges described Lai, long a thorn in Beijing’s side, as the “mastermind and the driving force” behind the conspiracies.
Two years of the 20-year penalty overlap an existing sentence, meaning he will effectively serve another 18 years in jail. Lai would then be 96 years old.
Eight other defendants, including six Apple Daily executives, were handed sentences of up to 10 years in jail. All except Lai had pleaded guilty.
Lai has been kept in solitary confinement at his own request to avoid harassment, according to prosecutors.
His supporters, children, lawyers and rights groups have all raised concerns about his deteriorating health in prison, although authorities maintain he receives “adequate” care.
Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Centre for Asian Law, said Hong Kong’s legal system had become a tool for political control.
“After the regime’s sustained effort to portray Lai as an ‘enemy of the state’, a reversal from the appellant court would contradict years of political theatre,” said Lai, who is unrelated to the mogul.
Former Apple Daily reporter Tammy Cheung told AFP outside the court that she feared she “may never see Lai in person again”.
“Even before this sentencing today, the industry was constantly self-censoring. Now, after this sentencing, I think the impact it will have on this industry is quite clear for all to see,” she said.
Retiree Lai So said there are “fewer reports on the negative side of society” since Lai’s once-popular Apple Daily was shut down in 2021.
“The space for freedom of speech has shrunk a lot.”
- Agence France-Presse
