A Hong Kong court has sentenced a former editor of a shuttered news publication to 21 months in prison in a sedition case widely seen as an indicator of media freedom in the city, once hailed as a beacon of press freedom in Asia.

A Hong Kong court has convicted two former editors of a shuttered news outlet in a sedition case seen as a barometer for the future of media freedoms in a city once hailed as a bastion of free press in Asia.

Two journalists who led a now-closed Hong Kong online news outlet will hear a verdict in their sedition case on Thursday.

Hong Kong’s top court has upheld the convictions of seven of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy activists over their roles in one of the biggest anti-government protests in 2019.

A lawyer says activist publisher Jimmy Lai will testify in his defense at his Hong Kong national security trial.

The national security trial of Hong Kong’s famous activist publisher Jimmy Lai entered its second day with the expectation that judges will rule by the end of the week on his lawyers' bid to throw out a sedition charge that has been increasingly used to target dissidents.

A landmark national security trial has opened in Hong Kong for prominent activist publisher Jimmy Lai.

The son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai says he doesn't want to see his father die in detention, as his lawyers raised the prospect that his long-delayed trial may be pushed back indefinitely.

Seven of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy advocates have had part of their convictions overturned over their roles in one of the biggest pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The Associated Press got a rare glimpse of jailed publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

A Hong Kong court has rejected a jailed publisher’s request to terminate his national security trial, pressing ahead with a landmark case seen as part of Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement.

A Hong Kong court has rejected an activist publisher’s latest effort to use a British lawyer to defend him against national security charges as Beijing tries to crush a pro-democracy movement.

A Chinese diplomat accused the U_S_ consul general in Hong Kong of interfering in its affairs after he said the city’s freedoms were eroding and warned the American not to cross political “red lines.”.

Hong Kong's leader will have the power to decide whether foreign lawyers can be involved in national security cases in the city.

The national security trial of a Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher has been further postponed to September.

A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to five years and nine months in prison and fined him $257,000 over two fraud charges linked to lease violations.

A Hong Kong court has postponed a pro-democracy newspaper publisher's trial.

Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai broke into the media industry about 30 years ago armed with the belief that delivering information equates with delivering freedom.

A sedition trial has opened in Hong Kong for two former top editors of a shuttered online media outlet who have been detained without bail for 10 months.

As it marks the 25th anniversary of its return to China, the former British colony of Hong Kong is transforming itself from a global business hub to nurture its ties with the communist-ruled mainland.

China is installing a career security official as the new leader of Hong Kong in the culmination of a sweeping political transformation that has gutted any opposition in the Asian financial center and placed it ever more firmly under Beijing’s control.

Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai are asking the United Nations to investigate his imprisonment and multiple criminal charges as “legal harassment” that punish him for speaking out.

The last time the Olympics came to China, Xi Jinping oversaw the whole endeavor.

A group of lawmakers loyal to China’s Communist Party were sworn in to Hong Kong’s Legislature on Monday following an election without opposition candidates.

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Stand News online media outlet says it is ceasing operations following a police raid and arrests of current and former editors, board members and a journalist.

Hong Kong tycoon and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai and two others have been convicted for their roles in last year’s banned Tiananmen candlelight vigil, amid a crackdown on dissent in the city and Beijing’s tightening political control.

Hong Kong authorities have declined to renew a visa for a foreign journalist working for The Economist without any explanation, the magazine said in a statement on Friday.

The American Chamber of Commerce says U.S. businesses operating in Hong Kong should reassess their operations and decide if the risks of operating in the city are worth the reward.

The press watchdog Reporters Without Borders has put Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on its list of “predators.”.

China has promoted Hong Kong's top security official to the territory's No. 2 spot as Beijing clamps down on free speech and political opposition.

The final edition of Hong Kong’s last remaining pro-democracy paper sold out in hours, as readers scooped up all 1 million copies of the Apple Daily.

Hong Kong’s sole remaining pro-democracy newspaper has published its last edition.

Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily says its board of directors has asked authorities to unfreeze some assets so that it can pay salaries.

A Hong Kong court has ordered the top editor of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the head of its parent company held without bail.

Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily has increased its print run more than fivefold to 500,000 copies as residents lined up to buy the paper in a show of support for beleaguered press freedoms, a day after police arrested five top editors and executives.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow has been released from jail after serving more than six months for taking part in unauthorized assemblies during massive 2019 anti-government protests that triggered a crackdown on dissent.

Hong Kong media tycoon and outspoken pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to more jail time over his role in an anti-government protest in 2019.

Hong Kong authorities for the second year have banned the June 4 candlelight vigil commemorating the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

Hong Kong’s legislature has passed a bill amending electoral laws that drastically reduces the public’s ability to vote and increases the number of pro-Beijing lawmakers making decisions for the city.

Hong Kong’s legislature has resumed its debate on changing electoral laws to drastically reduce the public’s ability to vote for lawmakers and increase the number of pro-Beijing lawmakers making decisions for the city.

Chinese online nationalism has a new target: The popular Thai drama “Girl from Nowhere” distributed by Netflix.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is defending the freezing of pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai’s assets as a necessary move under the city’s new national security law to protect the safety of all Chinese people.

The Hong Kong stock exchange has halted trading of Next Digital shares at the media company's request after assets belonging to its founder, Jimmy Lai, were frozen.

A Hong Kong court has sentenced five leading pro-democracy advocates to up to 18 months in prison for organizing and participating in a massive march during the 2019 anti-government protests that triggered an overwhelming crackdown from Beijing.

Seven Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates have been convicted on charges of organizing and participating in massive anti-government protests in 2019 that triggered a crackdown on dissent.

A police officer stands guard outside High Court in Hong Kong Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Prominent Hong Kong democracy advocate and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai is back in court for another attempt to apply for bail before his trial in April, on the charge of "collusion with foreign forces," a new crime in Hong Kong invented by the National Security Law that Beijing imposed last year. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)HONG KONG – Prominent Hong Kong democracy advocate and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai was again denied bail on Thursday ahead of his April trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces. Arrested and charged in early December, Lai was at first denied bail then granted it on appeal under strict conditions amounting for a form of house arrest. That prompted a withering attack on the Hong Kong judiciary by the ruling Communist Party newspaper People's Daily.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Martin Lee arrives at a court in Hong Kong Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The two who pleaded guilty were Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung, both former members of the Hong Kong legislature. Au pleaded guilty to both charges, while Leung pleaded guilty just to participating in an illegal assembly. The arrests were condemned by the United States and other countries, which have grown increasingly at odds with China over its Hong Kong policy. AdChina's legislature then approved a national security law for Hong Kong in June that further clamped down on dissent.

Democracy advocate Jimmy Lai leaves the Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal where the government is arguing against allowing him bail in Hong Kong Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Hong Kongs Court of Final Appeal denied bail Tuesday for prominent democracy advocate and newspaper founder Lai, upholding the government prosecutions appeal. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – A Hong Kong court on Tuesday denied bail for government critic and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai who is facing charges under a sweeping new national security law. First refused bail, Lai was later released on appeal, leading to editorials attacking Hong Kong’s judiciary in the pages of the ruling Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily. The national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing after the city’s local legislature was unable to overcome local opposition to its enactment.

Democracy advocate Jimmy Lai arrives at Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal where the government is arguing against allowing him bail in Hong Kong Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Prominent Hong Kong democracy advocate and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai returned to court Monday to contest an attempt by the government to keep him in jail while facing charges under a sweeping new national security law. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)HONG KONG – Prominent Hong Kong democracy advocate and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai returned to court Monday to contest an attempt by the government to keep him in jail while facing charges under a sweeping new national security law. Lai is charged with collusion with foreign forces, an offense under the national security law. The national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing after the city's local legislature was unable to overcome opposition to its enactment.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai, arrives the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. Hong Kong government prosecutors appeal against the bail granted to Lai. Lai was granted bail on Dec 23, nearly three weeks after he was remanded in custody over fraud and national security-related charges. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – Hong Kong's highest court on Thursday revoked media tycoon Jimmy Lai's bail after prosecutors succeeded in asking the judges to send him back to detention. Lai had been granted bail on Dec. 23 after three weeks in custody on charges of fraud and endangering national security.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai is escorted by Correctional Services officers to get on a prison van before appearing in a court, in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. Lai, who founded the Apple Daily tabloid, has been charged under the citys national security law, amid a widening crackdown on dissent, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – Jimmy Lai, the 73-year-old Hong Kong media tycoon and advocate for democracy, was denied bail Saturday after being charged the previous day under the semi-autonomous Chinese territory's new national security law. Lai faces a charge of collusion with foreign elements to endanger national security, apparently for tweets he made and interviews or commentaries he did with foreign media. Lai, the highest-profile person charged under the security law, has also been arrested for other alleged offenses this year.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai is escorted by Correctional Services officers to get on a prison van before appearing in a court, in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. Lai, who founded the Apple Daily tabloid, has been charged under the citys national security law, amid a widening crackdown on dissent, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been charged under the city’s national security law as authorities step up a crackdown on dissent, local media reported. Police said in a statement that they arrested a 73-year-old man under the national security law, but did not name him. In certain cases, those charged under the national security law could also face trial in mainland China, where the legal system is highly opaque.

In this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020 photo, Jimmy Lai arrives at a court in Hong Kong. Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy Hong Kong media tycoon who was arrested during a crackdown on dissent was charged Wednesday Dec. 2, 2020, with fraud but no national security offenses, two newspapers reported. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – Outspoken Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate and media tycoon Jimmy Lai was refused bail on Thursday on a fraud charge amid a growing crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous city. Hong Kong police said in a statement Wednesday that it had arrested three men on charges of fraud, without naming them. The British government had slammed Lai’s August arrest and said the security law was being used to crush dissent.

Pro-democracy activists Jimmy Lai, left, and Leung Kwok-hung, right, arrive at a court in Hong Kong, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. Hong Kong police raided the private offices of media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Lai on Thursday, according to Lai's aide. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – Hong Kong police raided the private offices of media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai on Thursday, according to Lai’s aide. Lai, 71, is an outspoken pro-democracy figure who regularly criticizes China’s authoritarian rule and Hong Kong’s government. Pro-democracy supporters say the legislation effectively ends the “one country, two systems” framework under which semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been operating under since Beijing took over the former British colony in 1997.

Seven human rights experts affiliated with the U.N. raised concerns over Hong Kong's national security law in a letter addressed to Chinese authorities, saying that the law infringed on certain fundamental rights. The security law makes secessionist, subversive, or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has insisted that it will help bring stability back to Hong Kong after months of unrest. The security law extends beyond Hong Kong, targeting anyone overseas who violates it, although it is not clear how it would be enforced. The letter follows the first in-depth appraisal of the Hong Kong security law from the U.N. human rights system, though officials including U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet have previously expressed concerns about it.

Pro-democracy legislator Ted Hui, center, is arrested by police officers in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. Hong Kong police arrested 16 people Wednesday on charges related to anti-government protests last year, including two opposition lawmakers. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG Hong Kong police arrested 16 people Wednesday on charges related to anti-government protests last year, including two opposition lawmakers. The chairman of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong, Wu Chi-wai, called the arrests of Lam and Hui ridiculous." Since the start of the protests in June 2019, Hong Kong police has made more than 9,000 arrests.

FILE - In this July 1, 2020, file photo, Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai pauses during an interview in Hong Kong. Governments around the world are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to justify crackdowns on press freedom. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)Governments around the world are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to justify or to divert attention from crackdowns on press freedom. Jimmy Lai's arrest in Hong Kong, for instance, shortly followed enactment of a new national security law that gives China more power to squash dissent in Hong Kong. We dont see the robust condemnation that we would expect from the U.S. over press freedom crackdowns or deaths of journalists in custody, Radsch said.

Hong Kong media tycoon and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai, sits in a car as he leaves a police station after being bailed out in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG Jimmy Lai had just finished his morning exercise and was catching up on the news when the police arrived. There were 15, 20 policemen there, and they said I was under arrest and that they were from the national security department, the Hong Kong media tycoon recounted in a live-streamed video chat Thursday. Chinese and Hong Kong officials say most cases will be handled locally. The stock surged more than 1,100% to 1.61 Hong Kong dollars before settling around 0.38 Hong Kong dollars on Thursday.

Copies of Apple Daily newspaper with front pages featuring Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, are displayed for sale at a newsstand in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Hong Kong police have arrested Lai and raided the publisher's headquarters, broadening their enforcement of a new security law and raising fears about press freedom in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG Long lines of people bought up copies of the Apple Daily paper at Hong Kong newsstands Tuesday to support a free press in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. The government is suppressing freedom of the press, said Michael Hung, who bought two copies for 10 Hong Kong dollars ($1.25) apiece. Earlier, owner Jimmy Lai, his two sons and others from the company were detained under the national security law.

BEIJING – China on Monday announced unspecified sanctions against 11 U.S. politicians and heads of organizations promoting democratic causes, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have already been singled out by Beijing. The number of Americans named by the ministry exactly equals the number of Hong Kong and Chinese officials placed on a sanctions list by the U.S. last week over the crackdown. “China urges the U.S. to have a clear understanding of the situation, correct mistakes, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and interfering in China’s internal affairs." Four other lawmakers were named by the foreign ministry: Senators Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith. Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said he was sanctioned for defending the victims of Communist Party rule, including Hong Kong students fighting for democracy.

Shares rose Monday in Sydney, Shanghai and Seoul, while markets were closed in Tokyo for a holiday. Stock prices fell in Hong Kong after the authorities arrested pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers. An aide to Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai says Lai was arrested under the citys national security law. Hong Kong police said seven people had been arrested on suspicion of violating that law. The national security law came into effect June 30 and is widely seen as a means to curb dissent after anti-government protests rocked Hong Kong last year.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai pauses during an interview Hong Kong Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Lai said in an interview Wednesday that Hong Kong is dead under the new national security law. Lai, who owns popular newspaper Apple Daily, is a prominent advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)HONG KONG When Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrived in Hong Kong at age 12, the city felt like heaven to him, brimming with hope and freedom. He founded the Apple Daily tabloid in 1995, ahead of Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China.

By 1992, the group had 191 outlets, made 9 million garments annually and had a turnover of 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($211 million). Modeled visually on USA Today, it "shook the media landscape in Hong Kong in a revolutionary way," says Clement So, the Chinese University of Hong Kong associate dean. But he does view Washington as a key ally for Hong Kong -- as that early warning on the extradition bill proved. "If you're a business person in Hong Kong, it is difficult to avoid the China market," says Lam, the history professor. The Hong Kong government has announced a $2.4 billion stimulus package to help the economy grow amid the unrest.