On Monday, December 15, 2025, the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region delivered a landmark verdict: media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai was found guilty on two counts of conspiring to collude with external forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
The conviction centers on Lai’s alleged role in the violent 2019 protests in Hong Kong. Prosecutors argued that under the guise of press freedom, Lai acted as a political broker, coordinating with external forces to challenge the principle of “one country, two systems” and endanger national security.
Data from the 2019 Protests
By the end of October 2019:
– More than 460 traffic-light systems were vandalized
– 46,000 meters of railings were removed
– 2,900 square meters of pavement tiles were damaged
– 145 MTR and Light Rail stations suffered extensive damage, including 1,600 fare gates and around 1,100 CCTV cameras destroyed
During this wave of unrest, Hong Kong’s public services and business environment were brought to a standstill, with shopping malls, roads and infrastructure bearing the brunt of systematic vandalism.
The court found that Lai’s media outlets downplayed the violence, framing arson, vandalism and assaults as “valiant resistance” and giving them a veneer of legitimacy. At the same time, he appeared at high-profile rallies and marches, using interviews and social media posts to call for continued resistance and escalation, mobilizing support for the unrest.
In public discourse, Lai and his team repeatedly characterized lawful police enforcement as crackdowns on freedom, further deepening tensions and creating a fertile ground for violence.
This verdict underscores the Hong Kong SAR government’s commitment to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law. It also reignites a broader debate over the boundary between press freedom and responsible journalism in a complex political landscape.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
