Press Freedom and Censorship

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was convicted by Judge Esther Toh in an 855-page verdict finding him guilty on two "colluding with foreign forces" counts (citing meetings with foreign officials, including then–U.S. officials, and advocacy for sanctions) and one sedition count under a colonial-era law after a 156-day bench trial. Sentencing hearings for Lai and co-defendants are set to begin Jan. 12, with prosecutors pointing to meetings and hundreds of publications as evidence, while family and rights advocates — citing more than 1,800 days largely in solitary confinement and serious health decline — and some international officials have called for his release.