INTERVIEW / Jimmy Lai's daughter slams his 20-year sentence as 'laughable'

Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) The daughter of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai (黎智英) on Tuesday condemned her father's trial as "extremely unfair" and his 20-year prison sentence as "laughable," a day after the verdict was handed down.

"It was an extremely, extremely unfair trial. The verdict is laughable at best, and so is the sentence," Claire Lai (黎采) told CNA in an exclusive interview from the United States.

"No one should be under any illusion that the rule of law in Hong Kong still exists," she said, adding that the ultimate arbitrator of the case lies in Beijing.

Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court on Monday, the harshest punishment to date under the controversial National Security Law enacted by Beijing in June 2020 following the 2019 anti-government protests.

The 78-year-old founder of the now defunct Apple Daily was found guilty in December 2025 of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and of publishing seditious articles, according to the court's verdict.

Prosecutors cited Lai's lobbying of the international community to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China, as well as Apple Daily's reporting, as evidence. Lai has never pleaded guilty.

Lai's case is "representative of the downfall of Hong Kong," Claire Lai said, adding that any form of dissent invoking the city's civil liberties and autonomy is now "criminalized."

While an appeal remains an option, she said pursuing one could allow the Hong Kong government to argue that the case is still ongoing and that foreign governments therefore should not intervene.

"The only way this can be solved is sovereign to sovereign, not through the Hong Kong courts," she said, adding that she and Lai's international legal team continue to pursue diplomatic and political efforts to secure his release.

Foreign governments have since weighed in, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for a "humanitarian parole" for Lai and U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper criticizing the "politically motivated prosecution" of Lai aimed at "silenc[ing] China's critics."

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council on Monday condemned Beijing for "human rights abuses" and called for Lai's immediate release.

How such calls will play out remains uncertain, but Claire Lai said her family has grown increasingly concerned about Lai's deteriorating health.

"[He] just wants to spend the rest of his days with our family," she said of Lai, who has been largely held in solitary confinement since December 2020 and was convicted of fraud in a separate office lease case in late 2022.

In a public statement issued on Monday, she also said she feared her father "will die a martyr behind bars" if the 20-year sentence is carried out.

Lai suffers from pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and has developed additional cardiovascular and other health issues, Claire Lai said, adding that she last visited her father in June.

She said Lai's prison conditions have "gone from bad to worse," describing how he is confined to a cell with limited natural light and fresh air and largely cut off from social interaction.

In a news release issued on Monday, the Hong Kong government rejected reports of Lai's health problems as "fabrication" and said it had ensured that his custodial environment was "safe, humane, appropriate and healthy in accordance with the law."

The release also cited Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) describing Jimmy Lai's verdict as proof that "the rule of law is upheld and justice is done."

A strong Beijing critic, Lai was targeted by Hong Kong authorities for his involvement in the 2019 anti-government protests.

Apple Daily was also forced to cease publication in June 2021 following a series of actions by Hong Kong authorities, including police raids on the paper's headquarters, the freezing of company assets and the arrests of several senior executives.

On Monday, eight others -- including six of the paper's former executives and senior staffers -- received sentences ranging from six years and three months to 10 years for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.