Overview
- Three High Court judges found Lai guilty on two counts of colluding with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
- The panel labeled him the "mastermind," pointing to lobbying of U.S. officials such as Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo and to Apple Daily content as evidence.
- The judge-only trial ran for roughly 156 hearing days; Lai has been in custody since December 2020 after his arrest under the 2020 national security law.
- Western governments and press-freedom groups condemned the verdict, while Hong Kong and Beijing authorities defended the ruling and the legal process.
- A pre-sentencing mitigation hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2026, with appeals possible, as Lai’s family flags deteriorating health during his detention.