The court's verdict?was handed down in less than five?minutes and marked?"a dark day for anyone who believes in truth, freedom and justice,"?Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, said in a press release. "It signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice,"?he said, calling for Chinese authorities to release his father "before it is too late."

In the same written statement, Lai's daughter, Claire Lai, characterized the ruling as "heartbreakingly cruel."

"I have watched my father's health deteriorate dramatically… If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars,"?she said.

This ruling brought an end to the city's most high-profile national security case, which had dragged on for nearly five years.

Lai was first arrested in August 2020 and was convicted late last year on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Lai's 20-year prison term is the harshest sentence handed down under Hong Kong's National Security Law since it took effect in 2020, criminalizing acts authorities say threaten national security.

Following Lai's verdict, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said it "upheld justice"?and was "deeply gratifying."

China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said it showed that anyone who dares challenge laws safeguarding national security "will certainly be severely punished."

But the Hong Kongers who spoke to DW shared a deep sense of frustration about the outcome.

"When I was young, I believed in natural laws. That means you are born free and equal. But now, sorry, I don't see [it] coming,"?a Hong Kong resident said under the condition of anonymity outside the courthouse.

Another Hong Kong resident named Simon told DW that Lai's case and the National Security Law in general represented a hostile environment for free speech. "We have no chance to speak freely about and criticize society anymore," he said. "Especially?the government."??

In addition to the sentence of Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily, eight other defendants in the case were given prison terms ranging from six to 10 years.

Those handed the longest sentences included former Apple Daily editor-in-chief Luo Wai-kwong, former executive editor Lam Man-chung and former executive editor of the paper's English edition Fung Wai-kwong.

Ronson Chan, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, said the most "heartbreaking"?part of the ruling was that these journalists and media workers also received lengthy prison terms.

Compared with Lai's political commentary in Apple Daily, Chan said?the?other defendants "were simply keeping the newsroom running,"?but the court did not take into account their contributions to the media industry or society.

Since 2020, at least a dozen independent or critical media outlets in Hong Kong have shut down, including Apple Daily and Stand News, and those still operating have become markedly more cautious.

"The media sector was already badly wounded,"?Chan said, calling Lai's sentence another major blow to freedom of speech.

Eric Lai, a senior fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law (GCAL), also highlighted the heavy sentences given to other defendants besides?Lai.

"This approach clearly aims to create additional psychological pressure on journalists and media organizations… particularly those with ties to foreign entities and credible overseas organizations,"?he told DW.

Hong Kong ranks 140th out of 180 nations listed in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, a sharp drop from 18th place in 2002.

Two years of Lai's 20-year sentence will run concurrently with his existing prison term for fraud and other offenses. That means he will serve an additional 18 years.

If he serves the full term, Lai could be released as early as 2044, when he would be 96.

After he?was convicted late last year, his lawyer Robert Pang argued in court in January that Lai suffers from multiple illnesses, including hypertension and diabetes, and should receive a lighter sentence on health grounds.

In its written sentencing decision, however, the court reaffirmed its earlier position, saying medical grounds would rarely, if ever, justify a reduction in sentencing for serious crimes.

Asked whether Lai would appeal, Pang told Reuters he could not comment, noting Lai has 28 days to file an appeal.

After the sentencing, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, lead counsel for Lai's international legal team, called on world leaders to speak with "one voice"?in their demand for China to free Lai, a British citizen.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded to the ruling by saying the UK would "rapidly engage further on Mr Lai's case"?and "we stand with the people of Hong Kong."

Last month, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised Lai's case during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing.

However, Sebastien Lai has repeatedly criticized foreign governments, including Britain, for "not doing enough"?to secure his father's release.

Eric Lai, the legal expert at the GCAL, said foreign governments likely "offer little hope in the near term."?He cited United States President Donald Trump's plan to meet China's leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in April, as well as a scandal involving British diplomat Peter Mandelson over the Jeffrey Epstein files.

He added?it was a matter of time?"whether the European Union would mount strong pressure on the Chinese government."

DW East Asia correspondent Rik Glauert contributed to this report.