China critic Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in jail after landmark Hong Kong trial

By James Pomfret and Jessie Pang

HONG KONG, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, ending the city's biggest national security case that has fueled global concerns about Beijing's clampdown on freedoms in the ex-British colony.

Lai's sentence on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials ends a legal saga that has lasted nearly five years.

The 78-year-old British citizen had denied all the charges against him, telling the court he was a "political prisoner" facing persecution from Beijing.

Lai, founder of the feisty and now shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was first arrested in August 2020 and was convicted last year.

His sentence was within the harshest penalty tier for offences of a "grave nature", reflecting the fact that he was the driving force behind "persistent" foreign collusion conspiracies, the three judges said in announcing their verdict.

They cited prosecution evidence that the conspiracies had sought sanctions, blockades and other hostile acts from the U.S. and other countries while involving a web of individuals including Apple Daily staff, activists and foreigners.

Six former senior Apple Daily staffers, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced to jail terms ranging from six to 10 years.

"In the present case, Lai was no doubt the mastermind of all three conspiracies charged and therefore he warrants a heavier sentence," the judges said.

'EVIL DEEDS WERE BEYOND MEASURE'

The U.S., Britain, Australia, the European Union, Japan and Taiwan expressed concerns about the impact of the sentencing.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the sentence "unjust and tragic", saying it showed the lengths to which China would go to silence advocates of basic freedoms in Hong Kong.

"... Mr. Lai and his family have suffered enough. The United States urges the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole," Rubio said in a statement, echoing similar calls from Britain and U.N. rights chief Volker Turk.

Britain will "rapidly engage further on Mr Lai's case", foreign minister Yvette Cooper said. Britain also announced an expansion of the visa route for Hong Kong residents wanting to move to the UK.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London urged Britain to "respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop interfering in Hong Kong's rule of law and China's internal affairs".

The spokesperson also said Britain should "stop shielding criminals".

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, under China's State Council, said the sentence was "a solemn and powerful declaration that whoever dares to challenge the law on safeguarding national security will be severely punished".

Hong Kong's leader John Lee said: "(Jimmy Lai) has committed numerous heinous crimes, and his evil deeds were beyond measure."

Lai's trial has drawn criticism from global leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, spotlighting a years-long national security crackdown in the China-ruled Asian financial hub, following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Those concerns partly reflected Lai's long-standing international profile as a pro-democracy critic of China's Communist Party leadership and his extensive political connections, particularly among U.S. Republicans - ties that prosecutors cited during the case.

At the height of the 2019 protests, Lai met then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington. Last year Trump appealed directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping to free Lai.

Beijing in 2020 imposed the national security law in Hong Kong, saying it was necessary to stabilise the city after months of sometimes violent unrest.

'HE'S GOING TO PASS AWAY IN PRISON'

Lai's friends and supporters say he is in frail health with diabetes and high blood pressure, and should be freed.

Lai's son, Sebastien, said the sentence was "devastating for our family" and marked the "total destruction" of Hong Kong's legal system.

"Much more needs to be done and quickly because, if not, he's going to pass away in prison," Sebastien Lai, also a British citizen, later told Reuters in London. He also urged Britain to pause its push to reset relations with China.

Hong Kong police played down concerns about Lai's health. The head of the force's national security department, Steve Li, said Lai's health concerns had been "exaggerated".

Beijing and Hong Kong officials say Lai has received a fair trial and that all are treated equally under a national security law they say has been vital to restoring order to the city.

Dozens of Lai's supporters queued for several days to secure a spot in the courtroom.

"I feel that Mr. Lai is the conscience of Hong Kong," said a man named Sum, 64, who was in the queue.

Lai's lawyer, Robert Pang, declined to comment when asked whether Lai would appeal, saying he has 28 days to do so.