The Hong Kong court will sentence Next Digital founder Jimmy Lai in his case on the morning of February 9, and the process is estimated to take 60 minutes.
Jimmy Lai had earlier been found guilty on all three charges, including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to incite others. The plea process for the case was completed on January 12 this year. The maximum penalty for the relevant charges is life imprisonment.
According to the National Security Law, those who commit the crime of colluding with a foreign country or external forces to endanger national security shall be sentenced to not less than 3 years and not more than 10 years in prison; for serious offenses, the sentence is life imprisonment or more than 10 years in prison.
Jimmy Lai’s lead barrister pleaded in court earlier, stating that he is elderly and in poor health, suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, lower limb muscle inflammation, and retinal vein occlusion. During his detention, his weight also declined. The defense hopes the court will consider that Jimmy Lai is already 78 years old, and each day in prison brings him closer to the end of his life.