Who is Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong's pro-democracy tycoon?

Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law.

The 78-year-old, who was convicted in December, is the most prominent person to be charged under the contentious law. It was introduced by China in 2020, in response to massive pro-democracy protests which erupted in Hong Kong the year before.

The law criminalises anything Beijing deems to be subversive or secessionist, from chanting slogans to participating in pro-democracy protests. Beijing says it is necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong but critics say it has effectively outlawed dissent.

Hailed a hero by the pro-democracy movement, Lai has long been viewed as a traitor by Hong Kong authorities and Beijing. He emerged as a key critic of China, and his Apple Daily newspaper became a platform for Hongkongers who wanted more freedom.

When the sentence was read out in court on Monday, Lai, who has been detained since December 2020, smiled calmly and nodded. He has always denied the charges against him, saying he had fought for the freedoms that he believed were Hong Kong's values.

Hong Kong says Lai has been given a fair trial under the rule of law, but critics say his case shows how the city's legal system has been used to silence political opposition.

His family has voiced concerns about his deteriorating health in detention. This August, his son Sebastien told the BBC that even if his father - a British citizen - got just five years in prison, it was "practically the same as a death penalty."

Rights groups on Monday also criticised the sentence, saying it was "effectively a death sentence" given Lai's age.

Sebastien also criticised UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for not securing Lai's release when he visited China in January. The "values [that the UK stands for] are being locked up along with my father," he said.

Lai became one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state and a leading figure advocating democracy in the former British territory.

"I'm a born rebel," he told the BBC in an interview in 2020, hours before he was charged. "I have a very rebellious character."