6 days ago
Hong Kong court to hear closing submissions in Jimmy Lai trial
A Hong Kong court is set to hear closing arguments in the trial of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who stands accused of foreign collusion and sedition charges.
The high-profile trial is scheduled to enter its 147th day on Thursday, after a roughly five-month break since March. The proceedings – originally scheduled to last 80 days – began in December 2023.
But a heavy downpour – which prompted the Hong Kong Observatory to issue the black rainstorm signal at 7.50am – led the Judiciary to postpone Thursday morning hearings.
Court proceedings may resume if weather conditions improve by 11am.
Lai, 77, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, and a third count of conspiring to publish seditious materials under colonial-era legislation. He faces a life sentence if convicted.
Prosecutors have accused the media tycoon of requesting foreign countries to engage in hostile activities, such as imposing sanctions, against authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Lai also allegedly used the now-shuttered tabloid Apple Daily – which he founded in 1995 – to publish seditious remarks against the authorities and encourage the public to participate in the pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019.
He allegedly not only conspired with senior editorial staff of Apple Daily but also was the 'mastermind and financial supporter' of the Fight for Freedom; Stand with Hong Kong (SWHK) advocacy group, which lobbied for international sanctions against Hong Kong and China.
Lai's trial has drawn international criticism, including from the US and the UK, while the Hong Kong government has urged foreign countries to 'stop interfering' in the ongoing legal process.
During the proceedings, multiple prosecution witnesses testified against the former media boss, including senior Apple Daily staff members Cheung Kim-hung and Chan Pui-man, as well as activists linked to the SWHK group, such as Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah.
Lai also took the witness stand for 52 days. In his testimony, often interpolated with spirited exchanges between himself and prosecutors, Lai denied allegations of foreign collusion and defended his political beliefs.
But he was also grilled by prosecutors and the three judges presiding over the trial about his foreign ties and past remarks, including what he wrote in his Apple Daily column and said in interviews with international media.
The media tycoon has already been in custody for over 1,600 days, after he was denied bail in December 2020.
Since then, Lai has been convicted in three separate cases relating to unauthorised assembly as well as in a fraud case, in which he was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison in 2022.
