Jimmy Lai convicted as Hong Kong’s last major pro-democracy party votes to disband

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement sustained its most serious legal and political setbacks in years over the weekend. Jimmy Lai, the outspoken founder of Apple Daily, was found guilty Friday on three charges related to foreign collusion and sedition, following a 118-day trial involving evidence from newspaper articles and interviews. The next day, the Democratic Party, the only remaining opposition party with elected officials, voted to disband after being blocked from local elections since 2021.

Hong Kong’s High Court convicted the pro-democracy tycoon of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. Prosecutors presented interviews, articles and public statements, including a May 2020 New York Times op-ed by Lai calling for U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials, meetings with then-Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and WhatsApp messages with Apple Daily executives and activists. The 78-year-old billionaire pleaded not guilty and has been detained since 2020. Collusion under the national security law carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Sentencing arguments are scheduled for January 2026.

The judges wrote that Lai’s appeals for U.S. action were equivalent to asking a foreign power to undermine a sovereign government and concluded that his “only intent … was to seek the downfall of the (Chinese Communist Party).” President Donald Trump pledged to secure Lai’s release last year, citing his previous successful negotiations with Xi. He then said in August that he would raise Lai’s case with Chinese authorities but stopped short of guaranteeing his release. “I didn’t say 100% I’d save him. I said 100% I’m going to be bringing it up. And I’ve already brought it up, and I’m going to do everything I can to save him,” Trump told Fox News Radio.

The Democratic Party voted to dissolve after more than three decades as one of Hong Kong’s most prominent political organizations. During an extraordinary general meeting, party members voted 57 to 2 in favor of disbandment, citing an inability to field candidates in elections and ongoing legal uncertainty under the national security law. The party had not won any seats since 2021 and had been excluded from the political process due to new vetting requirements.

The Democratic Party was established in 1994 and was previously the largest opposition group in the Legislative Council. It played a central role in pushing for universal suffrage and civil liberties. In a closing statement, former chairman Lo Kin-hei said, “Yet as the times have shifted, we now, with deep regret, must bring this chapter to a close.”

Lai’s charges were filed under the national security law enacted by Beijing in June 2020. The law grants broad powers to authorities to prosecute acts deemed as threats to national security, including speech and political activity, and has been used extensively against pro-democracy figures since its passage.

Lai’s conviction and the dissolution of the Democratic Party reflect a cumulative process that began after the imposition of the national security law in 2020 and accelerated following sweeping electoral changes the following year. Authorities arrested or charged dozens of prominent activists, disqualified opposition lawmakers and restructured the electoral system to require political vetting of all candidates, effectively barring pro-democracy figures from running for office. By 2021, most established opposition parties had lost their elected representation, leaving the Democratic Party without a viable path to political participation before it voted to disband.

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