A Hong Kong court jailed pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 years after he was found guilty of national security offences in December

This is the harshest sentence to be given under the controversial national security law, which China says is necessary for the city’s stability

Lai, who holds a British passport, was one of the loudest critics of Beijing, often wielding his pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, as a tool of protest

Six former executives of the paper were also jailed on Monday – from six years and nine months to 10 years

Hailed a hero by the pro-democracy movement, Lai is seen as a traitor by Beijing

He has always denied the charges against him, saying he had advocated for what he believed were Hong Kong’s values, such as rule of law and free speech