From BBC News.

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

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

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

"Today is a dark day for anyone who believes in truth, freedom and justice," his son Sebastien says. "It signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice."

Lai’s daughter Claire described it as a "heartbreakingly cruel" sentence, adding that she has seen her father’s health deteriorate over the last five years.

"If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars," she says.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#JimmyLai #HongKong #BBCNews