Jimmy Lai was prosecuted for collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, not for his self-proclaimed "reporting of news" or "expression of views" through his media outlets.

Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on December 15 on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

The verdict was handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the national security case against Lai and three companies linked to the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily.

The defendants include Lai, Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and Apple Daily Internet Limited, which all faced charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai was also facing a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces.

The trial officially commenced on December 18, 2023, and was presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law in Hong Kong. The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence on June 11, 2024, and on July 25, the court ruled that all charges were substantiated. Lai's testimony began on November 20, 2024, and ended in March 2025. Closing arguments began on August 18, 2025, and were finalized on August 28, 2025.