Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday.
The 78-year-old self-made billionaire was among the highest-profile government critics charged since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the semi-autonomous southern city in 2020.
His outspokenness over the Hong Kong’s shrinking freedoms – including to top US officials – and his role as the founder of now-defunct Apple Daily, a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper, had long made him a thorn in Beijing’s side.
He was found guilty of two national security charges and a sedition charge in December following a years-long legal battle.
Both Beijing…