A Hong Kong court has sentenced Catholic businessman and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, a ruling that has renewed global concern over religious freedom, human rights, and political repression in the territory.
According to EWTN News, the sentence was issued on Feb. 9 following Lai’s December conviction under China’s sweeping national security law. The conviction capped years of legal actions against Lai, including previous findings of guilt for fraud and unlawful assembly. Chinese authorities have maintained that the charges were related to national security violations, while supporters describe the prosecutions as politically motivated.
Lai, the former publisher of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was first arrested in 2020. Since then, he has been repeatedly charged, denied bail, and handed multiple prison sentences, including a 69-month sentence in December 2022 tied to a fraud conviction, according to EWTN News.
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International figures have spoken out on Lai’s behalf. EWTN News reports that U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly advocated for Lai’s release and reportedly raised the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2025. Lawmakers, civil rights leaders, and religious figures across the world have also expressed support. In 2025, Lai was named an honorary recipient of the Bradley Prize, which recognizes individuals who promote “the ideals of the Western tradition,” according to EWTN News.
For Catholics, Lai’s witness is inseparable from his faith. Though widely known for his activism, Lai converted to Catholicism in 1997 and raised his family in the Church. His daughter, Claire Lai, told EWTN News that her father’s imprisonment “has just deepened his faith.” She said he regularly reads the Gospel when allowed by prison guards and that he “wants to be remembered [as] a faithful servant of Our Lord.”
In February 2024, The Catholic University of America installed a drawing of the Crucifixion created by Lai during his imprisonment. According to EWTN News, Father Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute said Lai views his suffering as a way of uniting himself to Christ’s Passion.
Catholic leaders have also appealed directly to authorities. In November 2023, a group of 10 Catholic bishops and archbishops urged the Hong Kong government to release Lai, stating that his “persecution … has gone on long enough.” The bishops added, according to EWTN News, “There is no place for such cruelty and oppression in a territory that claims to uphold the rule of law and respect the right to freedom of expression.”
Lai’s case has unfolded amid broader concerns about religious freedom in Hong Kong. Once known for stronger civil liberties than mainland China, the region has experienced increased control from the Chinese Communist Party in recent years, particularly following the implementation of the national security law. EWTN News previously reported that Father Vincent Woo of the Diocese of Hong Kong warned in 2022 that priests and bishops face “tremendous consequences” for criticizing the government, leading many to remain silent publicly.
At a 2025 hearing of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, advocates cited “severe violations of religious freedom” by the Chinese Communist Party, including efforts to forcibly eliminate religious practices not aligned with the state’s agenda, according to EWTN News.
Despite his worsening physical condition, Lai’s family says his spiritual life remains steadfast. Claire Lai acknowledged in January that her father’s “physical body is breaking down” after years of confinement and that he has been denied regular access to the Eucharist. Still, she told EWTN News Nightly that he continues to “read the Gospel every morning” and spends his days “praying and drawing the Crucifixion and the Blessed Mother.”
His faith, she said, “is what protects his mind and soul.”
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