Jimmy Lai convicted of collusion, sedition under Hong Kong security law

• Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and sedition.
• The charges fall under China's national security law, potentially leading to life imprisonment.
• Lai had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the verdict as a "sham conviction" and an act of persecution against press freedom.
• The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation called the trial a "grotesque exercise in legal subversion" and urged for Lai's release, noting his British citizenship.

Why It Matters: The verdict underscores Hong Kong's diminishing press freedom and legal autonomy.