Overview
- High Court judges found Lai guilty on two counts of colluding with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material, calling him the mastermind and saying he harbored long-standing hatred toward the PRC.
- Collusion carries a maximum life sentence, with Lai eligible to appeal after sentencing; he has been detained since December 2020.
- Prosecutors cited Lai’s outreach to US officials including Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo and presented 161 Apple Daily items as seditious evidence, while six former executives pleaded guilty and testified.
- Rights groups including CPJ and RSF condemned the verdict as politically motivated as UK and other Western officials voiced objections, while Hong Kong and Beijing defended the ruling as lawful and necessary for national security.
- The judge-only trial spanned about 156 hearing days under the 2020 security regime; Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021, and Lai’s family reports deteriorating health in custody, which authorities say is being adequately managed.