Jimmy Lai, media entrepreneur, Catholic convert, and well-known defender of human rights in Hong Kong, was found guilty on December 15 of multiple violations of the national security law imposed by China. The verdict ends a long judicial process that has sparked harsh international criticism and leaves Lai, 78 years old, facing the real possibility of a life sentence. The sentence will be handed down on a date yet to be determined.
The conviction has been denounced as an exemplary punishment against a Catholic layman who never hid his faith or his moral opposition to authoritarianism. His lawyers from the British firm Doughty Street Chambers described the ruling as “a stain” on Hong Kong’s judicial system, while lead attorney Caoilfhionn Gallagher called it “a vengeful and deeply unjust verdict” against a man who has been imprisoned for five years in conditions that violate international law.
Political and Religious Persecution
For Lai’s family, the process never had any appearance of justice. His son Sebastien stated that the ruling confirms that his father has been prosecuted “solely for his brave journalistic work and his unwavering commitment to the truth.” His daughter Claire emphasized that the verdict shows that the authorities “continue to fear what he represents,” even as he is physically weakened by years in prison.
Lai’s situation has mobilized the Catholic Church internationally. In 2021, he received the Christifidelis Laici award in the United States, and in 2022 he was honored with a title by the Catholic University of America. In 2023, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Cardinal Joseph Zen, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, also a critic of Beijing’s repressive policy.
That same year, bishops and archbishops from various countries denounced the “cruelty and oppression” suffered by Lai, demanding his immediate release. For many, his case has become a symbol of the persecution of Christians and dissidents under totalitarian regimes.
Faith Lived in Prison
Despite the deterioration of his health, Lai’s family has insisted that he remains firm in the faith. In recent statements, his daughter recounted that, after a fall in prison where he couldn’t get up, his father prayed to the Blessed Virgin and managed to stand. “You find great consolation in knowing that Our Lady is protecting him,” she affirmed.
Claire Lai also expressed the longing to be able to return to simple gestures of Christian family life: “Going to Mass together or sitting at the table, things we once took for granted.”
International Pressure and Silence from Beijing
The case has provoked high-level political reactions. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, assured that he would do “everything possible” to achieve Lai’s release and addressed the matter directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The U.S. Congress, British leaders, and international organizations have demanded his release and independent medical attention.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned. For many Catholics, his case is already that of a confessor of the faith in the 21st century, punished not only for what he did, but for what he believes.