BRITISH media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of national security offences in Hong Kong.
The pro-democracy campaigner, 78, was arrested in 2020 amid a brutal Chinese crackdown following massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
The outspoken critic of Beijing, was convicted in a landmark national security trial in court on Monday, which could send him to prison for the rest of his life.
Lai denied all the charges during his testimony back in November.
His 156-day trial was conducted without a jury present and had been closely monitored by the US, Britain and the European Union over its fairness.
He was found guilty with two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security.
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Judge Esther Toh ruled Lai extended “constant invitations” to the US to help bring down the Chinese government.
Toh also blasted the Brit for being the “mastermind” behind several plots looking to expose the People’s Republic of China and harm those in Beijing.
A third count involved conspiracy to distribute seditious publications.
As the trio of guilty verdicts were read out at West Kowloon Law Courts Building, Lai looked “drawn and thin”, according to Sky News.
Lai waved goodbye to his family, including wife Teresa and one of his sons, as he was escorted out of the courtroom.
Speaking after the verdict, Lai’s lawyer Robert Pang said his “spirit is okay”.
“The judgement is so long that we’ll need some time to study it first,” he added.
He did not say whether a formal appeal will be made before his sentencing early next year.
Lai’s son Sebastien told the BBC earlier this year that he fears his father will die in jail if he is kept locked up.
Sebastien said: “His body is breaking down. Given his age, given his health… he will die in prison.”
His conviction was met with fury over in the UK.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper publicly condemned the “politically motivated prosecution”.
She said: “Jimmy Lai has been targeted by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments’ for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.
“Beijing’s National Security Law was imposed on Hong Kong to silence China‘s critics.
“The UK has repeatedly called for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.”
Cooper called on Lai to be released immediately.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel described the conviction as “an outrage to democracy, personal freedom and liberty”.
She has called on Sir Keir Starmer to raise the outcome of the trial with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Starmer announced at the end of 2024 that securing Lai’s release was a “priority” for his Labour government.
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation’s UK and Europe director Mark Sabah said the result was a “show trial masquerading as justice”.
At the time of his arrest over five years ago, Lai was a powerful and influential billionaire in Hong Kong.
He founded companies such as Giordano, Next Digital, and the popular tabloid newspaper Apple Daily which all helped him reach a net worth of more than $1bn (£766m).
He was accused of using the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper as part of a major effort to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China, according to the court.
His guilty verdict and controversial trial raises further questions over Hong Kong’s judicial system.
Hong Kong’s courts have been accused of toeing Beijing’s strict policies since 2019 when it tightened its control over the neighbouring city.
The nation’s top officials insist they are only abiding to the rules set out but critics say the system is massively against the accused.
Hundreds of protesters and activists have been jailed under the controversial national security law (NSL) in Hong Kong in recent years.
Those standing trial face an almost 100 per cent conviction rate as of May this year, reports the BBC.