Overview
- Judges found Lai guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious material, with sentencing to follow.
- The 855-page judgment cites WhatsApp messages and contacts with senior US officials and labels Lai the conspiracy’s “mastermind.”
- Tried by a panel of national-security-designated judges without a jury, the case stems from the 2020 law enacted after the 2019 protests and carries a possible life term.
- Supporters report his health has worsened after more than 1,800 days in custody, citing diabetes and heart issues raised by his lawyers.
- Rights groups and foreign officials condemned the verdict, and US President Donald Trump said he urged Xi Jinping to release Lai on humanitarian grounds.