Sentences ranging from 6 years to 10 years were handed down on Monday on eight co-defendants in the landmark national security case, with Jimmy Lai Chee-ying sentenced to 20 years.

The sentence was handed down by a bench of three designated national security judges Esther Toh Lye-ping, Susana D’Alamada Remedios and Alex Lee Wan-tang this morning.

Among the five accomplice witnesses, Cheung Kim-hung, former chief executive of the now-defunct Apple Daily was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months after receiving an 8-year reduction. 

The judge recognized his “positive character” and charitable donations, which included a one-time donation of  approximately HK$5 million to the Apple Daily Charity Fund and other contributions totalling over HK$1.5 million.

Similarly, Chan Pui-man, former associate publisher of Apple Daily, received a 7-year sentence with an 8-year reduction, recognizing her contributions to charity work.

Lead editorial writer of Apply Daily Yeung Ching-kee, also known as Li Ping, was sentenced to seven years and three months with a seven-year and nine months reduction for pleading guilty and assisting the prosecution. 

Yeung also received an additional three-month reduction on humanitarian grounds due to his wife's illness.

Meanwhile, activist and a core SWHK member Andy Li Yu-hin received 7 years and 3 months with a 7-year, 9-month reduction for providing what the judge called "detailed and important" testimony about activist groups.

Three remaining senior Apple Daily staff members — former editor-in-chief Ryan Law Wai-kwong, former executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, and former editorial writer and editor-in-chief of the English news section Fung Wai-kong (also known as Lo Fung) — were each sentenced to 10 years. 

The judge noted they did not testify or assist prosecutors, receiving only a one-third reduction for pleading guilty.