Lai's sentence was by far the harshest handed down under Hong Kong's national security law, which was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.

It was condemned by international rights groups as a symbol of Hong Kong's shrivelling press freedoms.

"We all broke down in tears," Cheung told AFP after watching 78-year-old Lai's sentence read out in a West Kowloon courtroom.

"For his age, this is tantamount to a life sentence -- an extremely severe punishment," she said.

Lai was convicted in December of conspiring with senior management of the paper he founded to use the news outlet as a platform to urge foreign countries to impose sanctions on China and for publishing "seditious" articles.

Six executives of the once-lively but now-defunct Apple Daily were among eight others jailed for up to 10 years after pleading guilty.

"We became even more emotional," Cheung said after she and her colleagues heard the sentences handed to the Apple Daily executives.

She said she would "pray for a miracle... perhaps something might happen between China and the US".

- 'Spiritual freedom'-

The pro-democracy tabloid was forced to close after hundreds of police officers raided the firm's building and arrested its senior management in June 2021.

Lai and the paper were at the centre of the city's once-vibrant media landscape.

Another former employee, who gave her name only as Wong, said she felt unhappy and perplexed on the day the Apple Daily closed.

"Why would this happen to a media outlet?" she said.

"It's not just about Apple Daily's disappearance -- it also reflects the current state of society as a whole," Wong said.

She added that Lai's media group had attracted many "who pursued journalism with unwavering dedication".

Ling, another former employee who gave only her surname, told AFP that Lai "believed words had value" and held reporters and press freedoms in high regard.

He "would not interfere with our reporting duties", she said.

"I believe he is a man of profound integrity. His unwavering resolve, his composure, his utter candour -- such qualities would grant him spiritual freedom even within prison walls," Ling said.

- 'Distressing' -

Hong Kong was once known for its freewheeling media scene, a sharp contrast to tightly controlled mainland China.

Lai's newspaper was the city's most popular tabloid, targeting local authorities as well as the Chinese Communist Party.

He insisted during his trial that "the core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong... rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly".

Lai said he had entered the media business because participating in "delivering freedom is a very good idea for me... The more you are in the know, the more you are free".

However, he also said he opposed violence and was not an advocate for Hong Kong independence, calling it "too crazy to think about".

Simon Ng, one of dozens of Lai's supporters who queued for hours outside the court, told AFP he had been a "loyal reader" since Apple Daily was founded in 1995.

He said its closure "is absolutely a loss for Hong Kong", with press freedom in the city having seen a "cliff-edge decline".

Ng said it would be "very distressing" if the city never saw him again. "Hong Kong people should all remember him."