Pro-Democracy Tycoon Jimmy Lai Convicted in HK Security Trial

• Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai convicted on two counts of foreign collusion and one of seditious publication in a national security trial.
• Lai, founder of the now-shut Apple Daily newspaper, has been jailed since 2020 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
• Prosecutors accused Lai of masterminding conspiracies to ask foreign countries to impose sanctions against Hong Kong or China.
• The conviction is seen as an example of eroding political freedoms under Beijing's national security law and has been condemned by Western nations.

Why It Matters: Lai's conviction underscores Hong Kong's eroding freedoms and press independence.