Hong Kong media tycoon and prominent China critic Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison under the city’s national security law, marking the most severe punishment to date under the legislation.

Axar.az reports that according to Reuters, Lai was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials, concluding a legal case that began after his arrest in 2020.

Judges described Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, as the “mastermind” behind efforts to seek foreign sanctions and other hostile actions against China, involving journalists, activists, and overseas contacts. Lai, a 78-year-old British citizen, denied the charges and called himself a political prisoner.

The sentence has drawn strong criticism from the U.S. and UK, while Hong Kong and Beijing officials defended the ruling as necessary to uphold national security and the rule of law. The case has become a global symbol of Beijing’s tightening control over Hong Kong following the 2019 pro-democracy protests.