Closing submissions in the national security trial of Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai were postponed again in August 2025 after his lawyers raised concerns about heart palpitations and the court sought to ensure that recommended medication and cardiac monitoring were available.
Lai, then 77, founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and had been detained since December 2020. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under Hong Kong's Beijing-imposed national security law and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
The closing submissions had initially been due to begin on August 14, 2025, but proceedings were delayed amid severe weather linked to Tropical Storm Podul. On August 15, the court adjourned the case until the following Monday after defense lawyer Robert Pang said Lai had experienced heart palpitations and episodes in which he felt unsteady.
Judge Esther Toh expressed concern that arrangements for recommended medication and a cardiac monitoring device had not yet been completed. Prosecutors told the court that a medical team was available, and the hearing was postponed so the arrangements could be put in place.
Dispute Over Lai's Health and Medical Treatment
Lai's health had become an increasingly prominent issue surrounding the trial. His family and international advocacy groups said his condition had deteriorated during years in custody, while Hong Kong authorities disputed suggestions that he had been denied adequate medical care.
In an August 15, 2025 statement, the Hong Kong government said Lai was receiving regular medical examinations in custody. It said a specialist had examined him after reports of heart palpitations and found no abnormality, while recommending medication and a cardiac monitoring device as precautionary measures.
The government said Lai initially declined the monitoring device but later accepted it after another specialist examination. It maintained that he had been certified medically fit to attend court and said correctional authorities were providing appropriate care.
Lai's family and supporters continued to express concern, however, arguing that his age, lengthy detention and reported health problems made his continued imprisonment particularly serious.
Charges at the Center of the Trial
Lai's national security trial began in December 2023. Prosecutors accused him of involvement in conspiracies to seek foreign actions against China and Hong Kong and of participating in the publication of material they considered seditious.
Lai denied the allegations. During his testimony, he said he had sought to defend freedom of expression and rejected prosecution claims that he had orchestrated a campaign for foreign sanctions after the national security law took effect.
The law, imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in June 2020 after months of anti-government protests in 2019, criminalizes offenses including secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The most serious national security offenses can carry life imprisonment.
Hong Kong and Chinese authorities say the law restored stability after the 2019 unrest and is enforced in accordance with the rule of law. Critics, foreign governments and rights organizations argue that its broad application has sharply reduced the space for political opposition, independent media and civil society.
Why Jimmy Lai Became Such a Prominent Figure
Lai was born in Guangzhou in 1947 and moved to Hong Kong as a child. After working in the garment industry, he built a successful clothing business associated with the Giordano brand before moving into publishing.
His political activism became more prominent after the Chinese government's violent suppression of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Lai later established Next Media and founded Apple Daily in 1995.
The newspaper developed a large readership and became known for outspoken criticism of the Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong authorities. Lai also publicly supported Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and participated in demonstrations.
Beijing and Hong Kong officials accused Lai of using his media and international contacts to encourage foreign pressure against China. His supporters instead portrayed him as a defender of press freedom and political liberties. Those competing characterizations became central to the international debate surrounding his prosecution.
Apple Daily ceased operations in June 2021 after authorities arrested senior executives and froze company assets under the national security law.
International Pressure
Lai is a British citizen, and his case became a recurring point of tension between the United Kingdom, China and Hong Kong. British officials repeatedly called for his release, while Hong Kong and Chinese authorities rejected foreign criticism as interference in an ongoing judicial process.
U.S. President Donald Trump also publicly raised Lai's case during 2025 and said he would seek to help him. Hong Kong authorities maintained that judicial proceedings should not be subject to foreign political pressure.
The dispute reflected a broader disagreement over Hong Kong's political and legal transformation since the national security law took effect. Foreign governments and international organizations have raised concerns about restrictions on political activity and media freedom, while Beijing says national security legislation protects Hong Kong from threats to state security without undermining lawful rights and freedoms.
What Happened After the August 2025 Delay
The August postponement proved to be a temporary interruption rather than the end of the proceedings. Closing submissions resumed after Lai received medication and a heart monitor, and the trial's final arguments concluded on August 28, 2025 after 156 hearing days.
On December 15, 2025, the three-judge panel convicted Lai on all three charges. The verdict prompted renewed criticism from the United Kingdom, the United States and other governments, while Hong Kong and Chinese authorities defended the judgment and rejected allegations that the prosecution was politically motivated.
The British government called for Lai's immediate release and summoned China's ambassador after the verdict. Two days later, G7 foreign ministers and the European Union's foreign policy representative issued a joint statement criticizing the prosecution and also calling for his release.
On February 9, 2026, the Hong Kong court sentenced Lai, then 78, to a total of 20 years in prison for the two foreign-collusion conspiracy counts and the seditious-publication conspiracy count. The sentence was one of the most severe imposed in a Hong Kong national security case.
Later that month, Hong Kong's Court of Appeal separately overturned Lai's earlier fraud conviction and sentence in a different case concerning the lease of Next Digital's headquarters. That ruling did not affect the 20-year national security sentence.
Lai's case therefore evolved considerably after the August 2025 postponement. What was then an unresolved trial over national security and sedition allegations ultimately resulted in convictions and a lengthy prison term, while continuing to generate sharply different assessments from Hong Kong authorities, Beijing, foreign governments and press-freedom advocates.
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