Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under China's national security law

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been arrested over suspected collusion with foreign forces under the new national security law, his top aide said on Twitter, in what is the highest-profile arrest yet under the legislation. Mr Lai has been one of the most prominent democracy activists in the Chinese-ruled city and an ardent critic of Beijing, which imposed the sweeping new law on Hong Kong on June 30, drawing condemnation from Western countries. The new security law punishes anything China considers subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Critics say it crushes freedoms in the semiautonomous city, while supporters say it will bring stability after prolonged pro-democracy protests last year. "Jimmy Lai is being arrested for collusion with foreign powers at this time," Mark Simon, a senior executive at Mr Lai's media company Next Digital, which publishes local tabloid Apple Daily, said early on Monday on Twitter. Police said on Monday they had arrested 7 people on suspicion of breaching the city's new national security law for offences including collusion with foreign powers. They were all local men, aged 39-72, it said, without naming them. Police said the operation was still ongoing and further arrests possible.
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