Jimmy Lai supporters queue outside Hong Kong court ahead of verdict

Media mogul Lai was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by China.Published On 14 Dec 2025Supporters of Hong Kong democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai have begun queuing overnight outside a Hong Kong court ahead of a verdict in his lengthy trial.The verdict will be delivered by a three-judge panel in a hearing that begins at 10am local time (02:00 GMT) on Monday and comes amid international calls to release Lai, who has already spent five years in jail.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Hong Kong high-rise fire kills at least 55, leaves hundreds missinglist 2 of 3Hong Kong blaze death toll reaches 83 as rescue operations continuelist 3 of 3Video: Hundreds still missing as arrests are made after Hong Kongend of listOn Sunday night, Lai’s supporters formed a queue more than a block long outside the courthouse. Some even had camping gear as they tried to secure a spot among the 507 tickets to the courthouse — 58 tickets are for Lai’s courtroom and the rest are for viewing in a separate overflow room by video link.Dozens of police officers have been deployed around the area in preparation for Monday’s verdict.Pro-democracy activists, including Jimmy Lai , centre, arrive at a court in Hong Kong [File: Kin Cheung/AP]Lai, 78, the multi-millionaire founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by Chinese authorities to quell anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019.Lai’s family says his health has worsened after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, and that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart palpitations.Earlier this month, his daughter Claire Lai told the AFP news agency in Washington, DC that her father has lost “a very significant amount of weight” and noted that he has become “a lot weaker than he was before.”“His nails turn almost purple, grey and greenish before they fall off, and his teeth are getting rotten,” she added.