Former Hong Kong media mogul and one of the city's most outspoken critics of China, Jimmy Lai, has been found guilty of sedition and collusion in a landmark national security case that has drawn international scrutiny.
Lai, 78, was charged in 2020 with using his independent media outlet to produce seditious materials against Hong Kong and China, and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.
Supporters of Lai, including countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, say the charges are politically motivated and designed to silence one of the region's most prominent pro-democracy activists.
Lai has been one of the fiercest critics of China's increasingly tight controls under President Xi Jinping and he has pleaded not guilty to the three charges against him.
In handing down the verdict, Judge Esther Toh told the court that Lai had harboured a "hatred and resentment" of the People's Republic of China "for many of his adult years".
Lai's case has become the most high-profile example of China's crackdown on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, under a sweeping national security law imposed after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
He will now await sentencing for the charges, which can include a penalty of life in prison.
The millionaire media mogul was the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, which was well known for its critical stance against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.
When he was arrested, Lai was accused of using the Apple Daily platform to conspire with six former executives and others to produce seditious publications between April 2019 and June 2021, and to collude with foreign forces between July 2020 and June 2021.
Judge Toh also said there was indisputable evidence that "Lai conspired with others, including his Apple Daily staff, to undermine national security".
The trial was presided over by three judges, approved by the government, without a jury.
The Chinese and Hong Kong governments say he was given a fair trial.
The verdict is a test for China's diplomatic relationships with countries like the US and the UK.
US President Donald Trump has previously raised the case with Beijing. UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has also campaigned for the release for Lai, who is a British citizen.
