Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years: Catholic Tycoon Finds Sweet Joy and Love in Hong Kong Prison

Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years in Hong Kong: The Christian Businessman Who Chose Faith Over Freedom

Hong Kong media mogul and devout Catholic Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, February 9th, 2026, under the city's controversial National Security Law. The 78 year old British passport holder was convicted of "colluding with foreign forces" and publishing "seditious material."

Lai, who converted to Roman Catholicism in 1997, the same year Hong Kong was handed back to China, has been held in solitary confinement for over 1,500 days. Despite being denied the sacraments in his cell, his faith has only deepened.

In a message to his family, Lai declared:

I know I must have done the right thing. The Lord has rewarded me with sweet joy and love. Jimmy Lai

The businessman made his fortune founding the Giordano clothing company. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, he printed the faces of pro democracy students on his company's t shirts, marking the beginning of his long battle for freedom in Hong Kong.

He later founded Apple Daily, a tabloid newspaper fiercely critical of Beijing's authoritarian establishment. The paper was forcibly shut down by authorities in 2021, and Lai has been behind bars ever since.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, now in his early 90s, has attended every single court hearing in a powerful display of Christian solidarity. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for Lai's release "on humanitarian grounds," while both the British and American governments have raised his case directly with President Xi Jinping.

Lai was a major financial backer of pro democracy activists and participated in both the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 mass protests. Authorities labeled him the "mastermind" behind the movement, though veteran barrister Martin Lee is widely recognized as the intellectual leader of Hong Kong's democratic cause.

Despite the devastating sentence, observers believe Lai is unlikely to die in prison. Analysts suggest Beijing may eventually release him as a diplomatic gesture, particularly to ease tensions with the incoming Trump administration.

Christian Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Finds God's Peace Behind Bars After Brutal 20 Year Sentence

The diabetic 78 year old has endured conditions that would break most people. Yet his testimony of finding "sweet joy and love" in the depths of a Hong Kong prison cell stands as a witness to the transformative power of faith under persecution.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be absolutely clear about what is happening here. A 78 year old Christian man is rotting in solitary confinement for the crime of believing in freedom. The Chinese Communist Party has locked up Jimmy Lai because he dared to speak the truth and defend the God given right to liberty. Where is the outrage from the Western world? Where are the sanctions? If a Muslim businessman were imprisoned for his faith in a Western country, the entire United Nations would be in emergency session. But when it is a Catholic man imprisoned by communists, the world looks away and counts its trade deals. Jimmy Lai chose to stay when he could have fled. He chose the cross over comfort. That is what real Christianity looks like. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, and Jimmy Lai's witness from behind bars will echo through eternity long after the CCP is dust.

Take Action

• Pray daily for Jimmy Lai's health, protection, and eventual release. Share his story with your church community and small groups.
• Write to your elected representatives demanding they press for Jimmy Lai's release. In the UK, contact Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper at yvette.cooper.mp@parliament.uk.
• Support persecuted Christians worldwide through The Shepherd's Shield, which provides direct aid to believers facing imprisonment and oppression.
• Donate to Open Doors USA or Voice of the Martyrs to support the underground Church in China and Hong Kong.
• Sign the petition at FreeJimmyLai.com calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
• Boycott brands that profit from CCP partnerships while Christians like Jimmy Lai suffer in silence. Use your wallet as a weapon for justice.