A rags-to-riches millionaire, media tycoon Jimmy Lai is a self-styled "troublemaker" who has been a thorn in Beijing's side for decades thanks to his caustic tabloids and unapologetic support for democracy.
Lai's arrest on Monday under a new national security law
Beijing imposed on Hong Kong will come as little surprise to observers, including the publisher himself, who said he knew he would be a prime target.
"I'm prepared for
prison," the 71-year-old told AFP from the offices of Next Digital, Hong Kong's largest and most rambunctiously pro-democracy media group, in an interview two weeks before the security law was enacted on 30 June.