#JimmyLai, the #HongKong pro-#democracy #media mogul who spent decades as a defiant thorn in Beijing’s side, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison, the harshest penalty ever handed down for a “national security” offense in the semiautonomous territory.

The landmark ruling completes a yearslong effort by Beijing to dismantle the influence of a man it blamed for masterminding Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

#law #journalism #authoritarianism #China
nytimes.com/live/2026/02/08/wo…