Jimmy Lai, the 78 year old former media mogul and outspoken critic of Communist China’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, has been given a virtual ‘death sentence’ of 20 years in prison.

Lai, an ardent Catholic who converted in 1997, was one of Hong Kong’s foremost human rights advocates, using his small media empire to oppose the increasingly repressive policies imposed by Beijing.

In December he was convicted under a controversial National Security Law from 2020.

The court said Lai had colluded with foreign forces and published seditious material, citing evidence that he had encouraged the US and other countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and the government in Beijing in response to the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.

His sentence has been condemned by Governments around the world, including the US, the EU and Britain. NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International added their voice to the condemnations.

[Photo shows Senator Ronan Mullen with Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai]