Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 9, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 9, 2026
Hong Kong court jails pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 years
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Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai poses for a photograph during an interview with AFP at the Next Digital offices in Hong Kong, June 16, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP)
HONG KONG, China — Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is sentenced to 20 years in prison for foreign collusion and sedition, marking an end to a high-profile national security trial that sparked international condemnation.
“After considering the serious and grave criminal conduct of Lai… the Court was satisfied that the total sentence for Lai in the present case should be 20 years’ imprisonment,” a summary document from the judges says.
Two of those years will overlap with Lai’s existing prison term, meaning he will serve an additional 18 years, the judges write.
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