Overview
- A panel of three High Court judges found Lai guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
- The judges described Lai as the conspiracies’ mastermind, citing his outreach to U.S. officials and 161 Apple Daily items submitted as evidence.
- Sentencing will be set at a later date, with a pre-sentencing hearing scheduled for January 12, 2026, and Lai retains the right to appeal.
- The case followed a roughly 156-day, juryless trial before government-approved judges, and Apple Daily shut in 2021 after raids and asset freezes as six senior executives pleaded guilty in related proceedings.
- Rights groups including CPJ and RSF condemned the verdict as a blow to press freedom as U.S. and U.K. officials voiced concerns, while authorities defended the prosecution and said Lai’s in-custody medical care has been adequate despite his family’s warnings about deteriorating health.