Hong Kong court convicts media mogul Jimmy Lai of collusion and sedition

A Hong Kong court found pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai guilty Monday of colluding with foreign forces under a Beijing-decreed national security law and sedition under colonial-era legislation, with the prospect of facing life in prison.

The three-judge panel at West Kowloon District Court, comprising judges Alex Lee, Esther Toh, and Susana D'Almada Remedios, convicted Lai on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in violation of the national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020, and one count of sedition under British colonial legislation.

Judge Esther Toh stated the court was satisfied there was "indisputable evidence" supporting the conviction. Lai, 78, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, has maintained his not guilty plea throughout the proceedings.

Lai has been detained since December 2020. During his five years in custody, he has been convicted of several minor offenses. The court will hear mitigation arguments on January 12 before determining his sentence.

The high-profile trial is widely viewed as a test of civil rights in the former British colony following its handover to Communist-led China in 1997. U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly discussed Lai's release with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their October meeting in South Korea.