How tycoon Jimmy Lai went from pro-democracy activist to national security criminal is a story that, some say, mirrors the changes in Hong Kong itself. The 78-year-old once published the city's most widely-read tabloid Apple Daily, which played a pivotal role in encouraging and supporting pro-democracy protestors during a prolonged and violent uprising in 2019.

But for the past six years, he’s been the target of the Chinese government’s national security police. Now, after a landmark trial in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of foreign collusion - a conviction that one human rights group describes as the ‘death knell’ for press freedom in the former British colony.

Asia Specific host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC Senior Journalist Danny Vincent and Hong Kong Journalists Association Chairperson Selina Cheng, and examines the reaction of activists exiled abroad with former Hong Kong Legislative Councillor Ted Hui.

Asia Specific brings you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the Asia Pacific region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

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Jimmy Lai verdict: From Hong Kong activist to national security criminal

Asia Specific