Jimmy Lai begins mitigation hearing ahead of landmark sentencing

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the 78-year-old founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, appeared in the High Court on Jan. 12 as judges began a four-day mitigation hearing that is the final judicial step before sentencing in a case that has reverberated around the world. Lai was convicted in December 2025 on multiple counts under the 2020 national security law, and his lawyers are using the hearing to press for a reduced penalty.

Court records show Lai was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. The convictions carry a statutory range of punishment widely understood to span roughly 10 years to life imprisonment, with life as the maximum sentence. The mitigation phase gives defense counsel the last formal opportunity to argue for leniency and for the court to weigh personal circumstances, health and other factors before a sentence is imposed.

Lai sat in the glass dock alongside eight other defendants. Among them were Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, who previously pleaded guilty to national security offences linked to Lai and later testified for the prosecution. Lawyers for Li and Chan asked the court to reduce proposed punishments by about half. Defendants were reported separated from each other and the public by multiple prison guards during proceedings.

Health concerns loomed over the hearing. Legal aides and family members have said Lai has lost significant weight and that his condition continues to deteriorate in custody. Prosecutors rejected allegations of mistreatment and said Lai’s health was "stable." Photographs and court appearances showed family in the public gallery, including Lai’s wife, Teresa Lai. His son, Sebastian Lai, has maintained a public profile since the December verdict, including attending a press conference in London.

The case has become emblematic of broader changes in Hong Kong since Beijing imposed the national security law in 2020. Lai is widely regarded as the most prominent figure prosecuted under the law, and his conviction intensified criticism from the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States and human rights organizations. Those governments and groups have described the prosecution as politically motivated and have called for his release, framing Lai’s prosecution as part of a wider erosion of dissent and press freedom in the city.

Hong Kong authorities have defended the legal process, asserting that the trial met fair trial standards and that the national security law has restored stability. The proceedings take place against a tense backdrop of strained relations between Hong Kong and foreign media after authorities summoned outlets in November following the city’s deadliest recent fire, an episode that underscored sensitivities about critical coverage.

Legal analysts say the mitigation hearing will focus on Lai’s age, health and decades-long role as a publisher and activist, as well as any expressions of remorse or cooperation. Sentencing will be handed down at a later date once the court has completed its consideration of those submissions. The decision will carry heavy diplomatic and symbolic weight, influencing perceptions of Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the limits of political expression under the national security framework.