Hong Kong democrat Jimmy Lai's lawyer defends basic rights in trial's final stretch
HONG KONG: The lawyer for Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai argued on Wednesday (Aug 20) that supporting individual rights is not a crime in the final stretch of a closely watched and years-long national security trial.
Lai, 77, who founded the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He faces a maximum life sentence.
The trial is widely seen as a test for judicial independence in the financial hub under national security laws that were imposed by China in 2020 in response to mass pro-democracy demonstrations.
Lai, a longstanding critic of the Chinese Communist Party, is one of the most high-profile figures to face prosecution under the law. His trial has been condemned by some countries like the United States as politically motivated.
Hong Kong and Chinese authorities say Lai is being given a fair trial.
Lai's lawyer Robert Pang, who began his final legal submission on Aug 20, said Lai had been defending and exercising basic rights.
'It is not wrong to support freedom of expression. It is not wrong to support human rights,' Pang told the three-judge panel that is expected to deliver a verdict later this year once this current round of final legal submissions is concluded after around one week.
'Not wrong not to love the government'
'It is not wrong to try to persuade the government to change its policy. Nor is it wrong not to love a particular administration or even the country, because... you can't force someone to think in one way or another,' Pang added.
One of the judges, Esther Toh, said that this was not what the prosecution argued.
"It's not wrong not to love the government, but if you do that by certain nefarious means, then it's wrong," she said.
Pang also disputed the prosecution's citing of 161 articles published by the Apple Daily between April 1, 2019 and June 4, 2021 as seditious, saying they were 'insufficient to draw any inference' of a conspiracy.
The prosecution alleges that Lai colluded with overseas officials including those in the first Trump administration to impose sanctions or conduct hostile activities against Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, including trade embargoes.
Earlier on Aug 20, the prosecution wrapped up its final submission, saying there was 'overwhelming evidence' to show Lai was the 'mastermind' of the alleged conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.
It added that Lai had done nothing to stop illegal activities engaged in by other co-conspirators and through advocacy groups critical of China, such as 'Stand With Hong Kong' and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
Lai, whose health is fragile according to his family, was provided with a heart monitor and medication after the court was told that he had suffered heart 'palpitations'.
Over 320 people have been arrested under the national security laws so far, including prominent activist Joshua Wong who is serving a 4-year, 8-month prison term for subversion, and now faces a fresh security charge. - Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Thousands demand union rights and civic freedoms in large Tunisia protest
Members of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) demonstrate after earlier this month President Kais Saied's supporters staged a rally outside UGTT headquarters, urging Saied to suspend the union following a transport strike, in Tunis, Tunisia August 21, 2025. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui TUNIS -Thousands of members and supporters of Tunisia's powerful Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) protested in the capital on Thursday over what they called a decline in union rights and civic freedoms. It was one of the largest political demonstrations Tunisia has seen recently, and comes amid a deepening standoff between the UGTT and President Kais Saied. Last month, a UGTT strike over wages and working conditions disrupted transport services across the country and piled pressure on Saied to deal with a deepening economic crisis. In response, hundreds of Saied's supporters staged a rally outside the UGTT headquarters early this month to urge the president to suspend the union. Thursday's protest started in front of the UGTT headquarters in Tunis and passed through Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the site of mass protests that led to the downfall of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 and sparked the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East. Demonstrators chanted slogans including, "The right to struggle is a duty' and decried increasing poverty and hunger and called for the protection of workers' rights. UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi decried what he called "threats and smear campaigns" against the union and called on authorities to release political prisoners and provide fair trials. "The union will not deviate from the path of struggle and will adhere to its social and national role to guarantee workers' rights," he said in a speech. There was no immediate comment from authorities on the protest. Saied assumed sweeping powers in 2021, shut down the elected parliament, started ruling by decree, suspended the Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges in a move the opposition described as a coup. (Reporting by Latifa Guesmi; editing by Alexander Dziadosz and Ros Russell)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
African Energy Chamber opens int'l office in China's Shanghai
CAPE TOWN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has officially opened an international office in Shanghai, China, aimed at strengthening cooperation between African governments, energy companies, and their counterparts in the Asian country. According to a statement issued by the AEC on Thursday, the Shanghai office will be led by Bieni Da, chief representative of the AEC in China, who is tasked with ensuring that the chamber plays a pivotal role in connecting Chinese businesses and government entities with African stakeholders. "The objective is clear: to drive impactful, long-term collaboration across strategic sectors of the economy, enabling investments that are mutually beneficial and aligned with both continents' development goals," it said. The AEC, an energy advocacy group based in South Africa, was founded in 2018 with the mandate to promote sustainable investment and best practices within the energy sector in Africa. In the statement, the AEC noted that despite the continent's high energy demand, many African energy firms struggle to access the capital needed to scale operations and boost production. The chamber added that its Shanghai office will play an instrumental part in connecting Chinese companies with African projects, facilitating partnerships, and bringing African opportunities to the Chinese market. "The AEC wants to see greater Chinese investment across the entire African oil and gas value chain -- from upstream projects to downstream infrastructure to manufacturing, power, and technology. China offers significant expertise in these areas, and the Shanghai office will unlock new collaborative opportunities in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy, and more," NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the AEC, said in the statement. The AEC will also organize high-level investment forums in Shanghai to foster continued dialogue and engagement. "Africa and China have a common goal: to eradicate energy poverty. It is time to walk the walk and bring Chinese expertise and capital to African projects... This office is a testament to making sure we leave our footprint," Ayuk added.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
China grants scholarships to Senegalese students to boost educational, cultural ties
DAKAR, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Senegal on Wednesday held a ceremony to award the 2025 Chinese Government Scholarship certificates and bid farewell to Senegalese students heading to China for higher studies. Chinese Ambassador to Senegal Li Zhigang presented admission letters to 17 scholarship recipients. Li emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges in fostering strong bilateral relations. "Youth are the future of a country, the hope of a nation, and the backbone of society," he said, urging the students to make full use of their time in China. He encouraged them to "experience China" and "share China" during their studies, and to return as contributors to Senegal's development while helping advance China-Senegal and China-Africa friendship and cooperation. The students expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for the opportunity, saying they looked forward to exploring China's rich and diverse culture and to serving as ambassadors of friendship between Senegal and China.
