Jimmy Lai convicted by Hong Kong court in national security trial

Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong activist and media mogul who was a major figure in 2019 pro-democracy protests, was convicted Monday in a landmark national security trial.

HONG KONG — Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong activist and media mogul who was a major figure in 2019 pro-democracy protests, was convicted on all charges Monday in a landmark national security trial that has drawn international scrutiny and become a symbol of Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in the Chinese territory.

Lai, one of the most prominent critics of China’s ruling Communist Party, was arrested in 2020 shortly after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in response to the anti-government protests, which roiled Hong Kong for months in 2019 and sometimes turned violent.

He was found guilty of two charges of colluding with foreign forces under the national security law, as well as a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials under legislation from Hong Kong’s time as a British colony.

‘They have not broken him’: Son of pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai on his father’s imprisonment06:23Lai, who turned 78 last week and faces life in prison, will be sentenced later and is allowed to appeal. On Monday, he appeared thin but in good spirits as he entered the courtroom wearing glasses, a pale green sweater and a gray jacket, smiling and waving to his family.

Western governments and rights groups have criticized the 156-day trial, which began in December 2023, as politically motivated. Both the United States and Britain have called for Lai, a British citizen, to be released, and President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to “free” him.