Hong Kong court hears sentencing arguments for Jimmy Lai

Media members interview people outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building for the mitigation in the national security collusion trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, in Hong Kong, China, January 12, 2026. - Reuters

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court began hearing sentencing arguments on Monday (Jan 12) for pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was convicted of national security crimes that could land him in prison for life.

Lai was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion last month under a sweeping national security law that was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.