FIDU expresses its strongest concern and condemnation following the Hong Kong High Court’s decision of 15 December 2025 to find publisher and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai guilty on national security and sedition charges linked to his work at the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily, including raising human rights concerns and publishing independent reporting that helped Hong Kongers make informed decisions freely.
This verdict marks another serious setback for press freedom in Hong Kong and further demonstrates the ongoing dismantling of the rule of law. Mr Lai was convicted after proceedings that raise grave due process concerns, including a trial before a panel of judges and the denial of a jury trial, on allegations such as “collusion with foreign forces” and “conspiracy to publish seditious material.” The substance of these accusations—engagement with international figures, raising human rights concerns, and publishing independent reporting—amounts to the criminalisation of journalism.
FIDU is also deeply alarmed by the human impact of this case. Mr Lai is 78 years old, reportedly in poor health, and has been held for years in highly restrictive detention conditions. The possibility of a life sentence in these circumstances is not merely punitive: it risks becoming a de facto death sentence.
Strong concern about Mr Lai’s case and the broader repression in Hong Kong was already raised during a press conference at the Italian Senate on 27 October 2025, promoted by Senator Giulio Terzi, where Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai’s son, spoke directly about his father’s situation and the collapse of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. FIDU participated in that conference and reiterates today the same urgent call: silence and delay only deepen impunity.
FIDU urges the international community to recognise this case as a defining moment for the integrity of the rules-based order and to act decisively to secure Jimmy Lai’s release while protect journalists worldwide.