Hong Kong Media Mogul Jimmy Lai Convicted on All Three Criminal Counts

(MENAFN) Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted Monday on all three criminal counts, including "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" and sedition under colonial-era laws.

The 78-year-old publisher now faces a potential life sentence.

A four-day mitigation hearing will be held beginning on Jan. 12, the court said, according to the media.

The "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" charges stem from a national security statute China imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 following sustained anti-government demonstrations.

Judge Esther Toh told the courtroom that Lai's testimony was "evasive" and "unreliable," saying his actions amounted to "an American urging Russia to topple the US government."

Lai, 78, held "resentment and hatred towards China from an early stage," she said.

In a verdict exceeding 850 pages, the judicial panel stated Lai's objective was "to seek the downfall of (the Chinese Communist Party) at the cost of the interests of people in Hong Kong and mainland China."

Lai, a business executive and former newspaper publisher, faced accusations of "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" and plotting to disseminate "seditious" content through his now-shuttered Apple Daily publication.

Following his detention in late 2020, Lai's 156-day trial commenced in December 2023. He entered not guilty pleas to both foreign collusion counts and the sedition allegation.

"Three companies, namely Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited, were also convicted of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material," according to media.

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