Reaction to Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai's guilty verdict in national security trial

People queue outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building for the verdict in the national security collusion trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, in Hong Kong, China, Dec 15, 2025. REUTERS

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty on Monday of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of sedition under a China-imposed national security law that could see him jailed for life.

Lai had pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.

Following are comments on the verdict:

THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ALLIANCE ON CHINA (IPAC):

In a statement signed by 76 lawmakers from 30 parliaments, IPAC condemn the guilty verdict.

"Had the Sino-British Joint Declaration and other binding instruments of international law been honoured by Beijing, this prosecution could never have proceeded. Jimmy Lai’s suffering is therefore due, in part, to the failure of the international community to enforce China’s legal obligations...This was a sham trial that fell far short of international fair-trial standards."

CHINA'S NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICE IN HONG KONG:

After the verdict China's national security office in Hong Kong called Lai a "pawn of external anti-China forces" who attempted a "colour revolution" in the city.

"We strongly condemn the political manipulation of Hong Kong by a small number of Western politicians and anti-China media under the guise of 'human rights' and 'freedom', openly exonerating Jimmy Lai, glorifying his behavior endangering national security, and grossly interfering in Hong Kong's judiciary."

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S CHINA DIRECTOR SARAH BROOKS:

“The predictability of today’s verdict does not make it any less dismaying – the conviction of Jimmy Lai feels like the death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong, where the essential work of journalism has been rebranded as a crime.

"This verdict shows that Hong Kong’s so-called ‘national security’ laws are not in place to protect people, but to silence them. It should also serve as a warning to all people doing business in Hong Kong: that pursuing opportunities in the city comes with severe legal risks."

HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE JOHN LEE:

Chief Executive John Lee said he welcomed the court's verdict and that the ruling upheld legal justice and safeguarded Hong Kong's core values. He said the government will study the judgement in detail and issue a more comprehensive statement later. “I stress that the HKSAR Government has a clear standing and the Judiciary is confident and unafraid of any intimidation and firmly discharges its responsibility to safeguard national security," Lee told reporters.

TAIWAN'S CHINA POLICY-MAKING MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL:

"This ruling serves as a declaration to the world that Hong Kong's freedoms, democracy, and judicial independence have been systematically eroded."

EXILED HONG KONG ACTIVIST SAMUEL CHU:

"I have known Jimmy Lai not as a symbol, but as a man — an editor, a believer, and someone who refused to accept that power should decide what may be said, printed, or believed. From that vantage point, today’s verdicts are not surprising. But they are still devastating."

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CHINA DIRECTOR SARAH BROOKS:

"This verdict shows that Hong Kong's so-called 'national security' laws are not in place to protect people, but to silence them. It should also serve as a warning to all people doing business in Hong Kong: that pursuing opportunities in the city comes with severe legal risks.

"This verdict is not just about one man: it is the latest step in a systematic crackdown on freedom of expression in Hong Kong: targeting not only protests and political parties, but the very idea that people can - indeed, should - hold power to account."

COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS:

"This sham conviction is a disgraceful act of persecution. The ruling underscores Hong Kong’s utter contempt for press freedom, which is supposed to be protected under the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Jimmy Lai’s only crime is running a newspaper and defending democracy. The risk of him dying from ill health in prison increases as each day passes — he must be reunited with his family immediately.”

MARK SABAH, UK AND EUROPE DIRECTOR, COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM IN HONG KONG (CFHK) FOUNDATION:

"This verdict should surprise absolutely no one."

"The trial against Jimmy Lai has been a grotesque exercise in legal subversion and chicanery — a show trial masquerading as justice. But what’s actually been on display is the complete and total destruction of Hong Kong’s reputation as a global legal centre.

"Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. His release should be a condition of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s planned trip to Beijing in January.”