China - December 2025

On 15 December, the High Court in Hong Kong convicted pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai on sedition and foreign collusion charges under the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law. The verdict is widely seen as a decisive setback to press freedom and free expression in Hong Kong, illustrating a deeper erosion of judicial independence since the imposition of the National Security Law. The final verdict comes after 156 days of hearings and follows Lai’s five years’ custody in pre-trial detention. United Nations officials and human rights organizations have condemned the conviction and identified serious due process violations during the trial. Lai faces a possible life sentence, with sentencing expected in January 2026. 

Sources: International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), OHCHR, South China Morning Post, The Guardian