Hong Kong court hearing arguments on sentencing in former publisher Jimmy Lai's case

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court began hearing arguments Monday about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime-media magnate Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants, whose convictions under a national security law could land them in prison for life.

Lai, 78, is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party. He was arrested in 2020 under the law imposed by Beijing following massive anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong the year before.

In December, he was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles.

His conviction raised concerns about the curtailing of press freedom in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

His case could also be a test for Beijing's diplomatic ties. The verdict drew criticism from foreign governments, including the U.S. and Britain. After the verdict, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had raised Lai’s case with China, said he felt “so badly.”

Lai, alongside other co-defendants involved in the case, appeared in court for the four-day mitigation hearings. The maximum penalty for their convictions is life imprisonment. Sentencing will come later.

The court Monday morning heard arguments concerning two activists’ sentences. Lawyers representing them suggested the starting points of their clients’ sentences should be 10 years and 10 to 15 years respectively, but they should receive reductions in part due to their assistance in the case.

Lai’s lawyer Robert Pang will deliver his arguments in the afternoon.

When Lai entered the courtroom, he pressed his palms together, an apparent gesture to express gratitude, and smiled at those sitting in the gallery. The media tycoon appeared to be in good spirits and greeted a convicted Apple Daily editor who was also sitting in the dock.

In August, his lawyers told the court that he suffered from heart palpitations. Hong Kong’s government said no abnormalities were found in a subsequent medical exam.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau said Lai’s health was stable. Chau said Lai had lost just 0.8 kg (about 1.8 pounds) over five years of detention, weighing 79.2 kg (about 175 pounds) when it was last measured this month. Lai is still considered obese as an Asian adult, Chau said. The obesity comment drew chuckling from some members sitting in the public gallery, and Lai also smiled in the dock.

Before sunrise, dozens of people had already lined up outside the court building to secure a seat in the public gallery. Retiree Simon Ng, a former Apple Daily reader, said he arrived and waited in line since Friday morning, hoping to see Lai.

“I want to let him know that he’s not alone," Ng said. “Many people support him."

Lai was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, in addition to one count of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A conviction on the collusion charge under the security law results in a sentence ranging from three years in jail to life, depending on the offense’s nature and his role in it. The sedition charge under a separate, colonial-era law carries a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.

Three government-vetted judges wrote in their December verdict that Lai spearheaded the conspiracies and took issue with what they called his “constant invitation” to the United States to bring down the Chinese government with the excuse of helping Hong Kongers.

Lai’s lawyers admitted during the trial that he had called for foreign sanctions before the national security law took effect, but insisted he dropped these calls to comply with the law. They also argued on freedom of expression grounds.

But the judges said that Lai had never wavered in his intention to destabilize the ruling Chinese Communist Party. After the enactment of the law, he intended to continue, though less explicitly, they said. They emphasized that Lai was not on trial for his political views.

Beijing has opposed what it called the smearing of Hong Kong's judiciary “by certain countries,” saying the judicial authorities perform duties according to the law.

Six ex-Apple Daily senior executives and two activists involved in Lai's case had entered guilty pleas, admitting that they had conspired with Lai and others to request foreign forces to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities.

The executives were publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung and editorial writers Fung Wai-kong and Yeung Ching-kee. Some of them, alongside the two activists Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, served as prosecution witnesses during the 156-day trial.

A guilty plea usually can lead to a sentence reduction. Under the security law, a reduced penalty may be granted to those who report on the offense committed by others.

Chan Pui man's husband, Chung Pui-kuen, a former top editor of Stand News who had been sentenced to 21 months in jail in a separate sedition case, was among those sitting in the public gallery.

After the verdict, Lai's daughter, Claire, said Lai would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released.

Trump said after the verdict that he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Lai and “asked to consider his release." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his government has made it a priority to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen.

People line up behind the barricades to attend the hearing about the upcoming sentence for pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Correctional Services Department vehicles arrive at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, ahead of a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime media magnate Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Members of foreign councils arrive at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts to attend a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Robert Pang, center, lawyer for pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, ahead of a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Teresa Lai, wife of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts to attend a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

FILE- Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is escorted by Correctional Services officers to get on a prison van before appearing in a court in Hong Kong, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, after authorities said it was being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images.

The moves reflect growing global concern over generative AI tools that can produce realistic images, sound and text, while existing safeguards fail to prevent their abuse. The Grok chatbot, which is accessed through Musk’s social media platform X, has been criticized for generating manipulated images, including depictions of women in bikinis or sexually explicit poses, as well as images involving children.

Regulators in the two Southeast Asian nations said existing controls were not preventing the creation and spread of fake pornographic content, particularly involving women and minors. Indonesia’s government temporarily blocked access to Grok on Saturday, followed by Malaysia on Sunday.

"The government sees non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity and the safety of citizens in the digital space,” Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement Saturday.

The ministry said the measure was intended to protect women, children and the broader community from fake pornographic content generated using AI.

Initial findings showed that Grok lacks effective safeguards to stop users from creating and distributing pornographic content based on real photos of Indonesian residents, Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision, said in a separate statement. He said such practices risk violating privacy and image rights when photos are manipulated or shared without consent, causing psychological, social and reputational harm.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission ordered a temporary restriction on Grok on Sunday after what it said was “repeated misuse” of the tool to generate obscene, sexually explicit and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors.

The regulator said notices issued this month to X Corp. and xAI demanding stronger safeguards drew responses that relied mainly on user reporting mechanisms.

“The restriction is imposed as a preventive and proportionate measure while legal and regulatory processes are ongoing,” it said, adding that access will remain blocked until effective safeguards are put in place.

Launched in 2023, Grok is free to use on X. Users can ask it questions on the social media platform and tag posts they’ve directly created or replies to posts from other users. Last summer the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.

The Southeast Asian restrictions come amid mounting scrutiny of Grok elsewhere, including in the European Union, Britain, India and France. Grok last week limited image generation and editing to paying users following a global backlash over sexualized deepfakes of people, but critics say it did not fully address the problem.

FILE - Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House, May 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)