The international community has reacted with widespread condemnation following the news that Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and publisher Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Officials from the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the European Union all spoke out against the ruling. The British foreign secretary described the sentence for the 78-year-old, who is a UK citizen, as a politically motivated life term. Jimmy Lai's son told reporters that his father fears he will die alone in custody, while his legal team labeled him the most prominent political prisoner in the world today. In contrast, officials in Hong Kong and mainland China supported the court's decision. They stated that Lai committed serious crimes and argued that the verdict was necessary to uphold the rule of law.