National security police say Jimmy Lai was ‘key instigator’ as court finds him guilty on all charges

Hong Kong’s national security police said media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was the “key instigator” behind social turmoil and could not evade responsibility, following a court ruling on Monday that found him guilty on all charges in a landmark national security case.

Speaking to reporters outside the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts after the verdict, chief superintendent of police for national security Steve Li Kwai-wah said Lai’s offenses were “too numerous to record” and supported by “conclusive evidence,” describing him as the driving force behind the unrest that once gripped the city.

Earlier in the day, three designated national security judges ruled that Lai, the founder of Next Digital, was guilty of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, as well as two counts of conspiracy to publish and distribute seditious publications.

Three Apple Daily-related companies were also found guilty, each convicted of conspiracy to publish and distribute seditious publications, as well as conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.

Li said the case was extensive in scope and stressed that the trial had been conducted openly and fairly. He noted that more than 400 public seats were arranged for the hearing, allowing members of the public to attend, while others could follow the proceedings through media reports.

He criticized Lai for treating young people as tools to carry out his political agenda, calling the conduct “appalling.” Li also addressed recent media reports speculating about Lai’s health condition, saying such claims were misleading.

“An inmate’s medical condition is a matter of privacy and cannot be disclosed,” Li said, adding that Lai had been receiving medical examinations under the care of the Correctional Services Department.

He said members of the public attending the hearing could clearly observe Lai’s physical condition, and allegations that his eyesight or hearing had significantly deteriorated were made with “ulterior motives” to smear and discredit authorities.

Li further said that during his self-defense, Lai repeatedly attempted to shift responsibility onto others. He accused Lai of using media platforms to incite hatred against the government, saying this was a core element of the offenses established by the court.

The convictions mark a major development in one of the most closely watched national security trials in Hong Kong since the implementation of the National Security Law, with sentencing to be determined at a later date.