Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty Monday on three national security charges, a conviction rights groups denounced as a death knell for press freedoms in the Chinese financial hub.
Prosecutors said Lai was the mastermind behind two conspiracies to ask foreign countries to take action against Hong Kong or China, and accused him of publishing materials they said "excited disaffection" against the government.
The 78-year-old, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, now faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced. He can appeal Monday's convictions.
"There is no doubt that (Lai) had harbored his resentment and hatred of the PRC for many of his adult years," Judge Esther Toh told the court, r
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