Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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February 9, 2026 Human rights
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk sharply criticized the sentence handed down Monday to 78-year-old media mogul Jimmy Lai. A Hong Kong court sentenced him to 20 years in prison on national security charges.
In December 2025, Lai was found guilty of "conspiracy to publish inflammatory materials" and two counts of "colluding with foreign forces" under the National Security Law. Lai denies all charges.
UN: Sentence criminalizes freedom of expression
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated that it had reviewed the verdict and was concerned that it effectively criminalized the exercise of internationally protected freedoms of expression, press, and association. OHCHR was particularly concerned that the charges were based on actions committed before the entry into force of the National Security Law.
The Office has previously warned that the law's overly broad definition of "collusion with external forces" could affect the legitimate activities of civil society and journalists, including interaction with international human rights mechanisms.
"Jimmy Lai is a publisher sentenced to 20 years in prison for exercising rights protected by international law," Türk said. "This verdict demonstrates that vague and overly broad provisions of national security legislation can be applied in violation of Hong Kong's international obligations. The sentence must be immediately overturned as incompatible with international law."
The OHCHR chief also called for Lai's release on humanitarian grounds, given his age, health condition and more than four years of detention.
Press freedom in Hong Kong is deteriorating.
Volker Türk also expressed concern that the judgment mentioned the interaction of other individuals with UN mechanisms as "a context that contributed to the admission of guilt."
Since the enactment of the National Security Law, press freedom in Hong Kong has deteriorated sharply. Many independent media outlets have closed, dozens of journalists have been arrested, and foreign reporters have faced stricter visa and accreditation requirements.
"This is part of a broader repressive trend in which hundreds of people have been arrested and prosecuted," Türk stressed.
Other sentences and statistics
Along with Lai, six other former employees of Apple Daily, a publication he owned, as well as an activist and a lawyer, were convicted on Monday. They received sentences ranging from six to ten years.
According to media reports citing official sources, at least 385 people were arrested in Hong Kong on national security charges between 2020 and 2026, 175 of whom were convicted.
Call for legislative reform
The High Commissioner reiterated his call for the release of all individuals arbitrarily detained under repressive laws, and for their cases to be quashed or reviewed in accordance with international standards. He reaffirmed his commitment to working with the Hong Kong authorities to bring the legislative framework into line with international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which remains in effect in Hong Kong.
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