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.
But Lai's UK-based international legal team, including Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, were scathing.
"Today's process was a farce and a sham, we've long known that this was a show trial and today three hand-picked national security law judges in Hong Kong followed the predictable script," Ms Gallagher told a press conference in London.
"It's a stain on the once-enviable Hong Kong legal system."
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.
Several countries around the world including Australia, the US and UK have condemned both Lai's prosecution and judgement.
Lai's son 'heartbroken'
Jimmy Lai's son, Sebastein, told a press conference in London that he was not surprised his father was found guilty, because both governments had alluded to it.
"What is surprising though is that its taken so long," Mr Lai said.
"We're almost five years in, he's spent the whole time in solitary confinement … his health has rapidly declined."
He said he was "heartbroken" by reports his father had lost about 10kg since being imprisoned.
Sebastien Lai said the case showed how Hong Kong's national security laws had been weaponised to silence critics.
"In the 800-page verdict they have, there is essentially nothing; nothing that incriminates him, nothing that even under their own legal system would make him guilty," he said.
He thanked governments across the world to support his father, including the UK, but more was required.
"It's now time to put action behind words and make my father's release a pre-condition to closer relationships with China," he added.
Lai's international legal team expected him to be sentenced early in 2026.
It said questions about a possible appeal would be handled by his legal team in Hong Kong.
