Latest news with #foreigncollusion
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Hong Kong court nears verdict as media mogul Jimmy Lai trial enters final stage
HONG KONG, Aug 14 — Jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai's national security trial, which began in late 2023, will enter its final stages on Thursday as lawyers present closing arguments. The 77-year-old founder of the Apple Daily newspaper is charged with foreign collusion under Hong Kong's national security law, which Beijing imposed following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019. Lai has been kept behind bars since December 2020, reportedly in solitary confinement, with Western nations and rights groups calling for his release. Aside from the collusion offence — which could land him in prison for life — Lai is also charged with 'seditious publication' related to 161 op-eds he allegedly wrote. The tycoon gave spirited courtroom testimony over more than 50 days during the trial, fielding questions about his political ideology, management style and overseas contacts. Lai described himself at least twice as a 'political prisoner', which drew sharp rebukes from the three-judge panel. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected criticism related to Lai, saying last month that his case was 'handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law'. Antoine Bernard of Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday that Lai's treatment 'exposes the authorities' ruthless determination to silence and suppress one of the most prominent advocates for press freedom amid Hong Kong's rapidly deteriorating media landscape'. 'External political connections' Prosecutors showed the court a diagram titled '(Lai's) external political connections', arguing that he had exerted influence in the United States, Britain and Taiwan. It featured headshots of top US political figures, including President Donald Trump, his former deputy Mike Pence and ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Former Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen was also among those named. Two prosecution witnesses, Chan Tsz-wah and Andy Li, also accused Lai of financially backing the advocacy group 'Stand With Hong Kong' to run overseas newspaper ads supporting the 2019 protests. Lai has denied calling for sanctions against China and Hong Kong and said he never advocated separatism. Four other people who held senior roles in Apple Daily were called upon by prosecutors to testify about how Lai shaped the outlet's political stance. The mogul said his newspaper championed democracy and freedom, adding that he had always disavowed violence. 'The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong… (including) rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly,' Lai said on the first day of his testimony. Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 after police raids and the arrests of its senior editors. Lai is a British citizen and his son Sebastien reiterated in March calls for the Keir Starmer administration to do more, saying: 'I don't want my father to die in jail.' Judges have indicated that a verdict could be reached by October. — AFP
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Jimmy Lai trial: closing arguments begin in Hong Kong trial of pro-democracy media mogul
Jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai's national security trial, which began in late 2023, will enter its final stages on Thursday as lawyers present closing arguments. The 77-year-old founder of the Apple Daily newspaper is charged with foreign collusion under Hong Kong's national security law, which Beijing imposed following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019. Lai has been kept behind bars since December 2020, reportedly in solitary confinement, with Western nations and rights groups calling for his release. Aside from the collusion offence – which could land him in prison for life – Lai is also charged with 'seditious publication' related to 161 op-eds he allegedly wrote. The tycoon gave spirited courtroom testimony over more than 50 days during the trial, fielding questions about his political ideology, management style and overseas contacts. Lai described himself at least twice as a 'political prisoner', which drew sharp rebukes from the three-judge panel. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected criticism related to Lai, saying last month that his case was 'handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law'. Antoine Bernard of Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday that Lai's treatment 'exposes the authorities' ruthless determination to silence and suppress one of the most prominent advocates for press freedom amid Hong Kong's rapidly deteriorating media landscape'. Prosecutors showed the court a diagram titled '(Lai's) external political connections', arguing that he had exerted influence in the United States, Britain and Taiwan. It featured headshots of top US political figures, including president Donald Trump, his former deputy Mike Pence and ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Former Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen was also among those named. Two prosecution witnesses, Chan Tsz-wah and Andy Li, also accused Lai of financially backing the advocacy group 'Stand With Hong Kong' to run overseas newspaper ads supporting the 2019 protests. Lai has denied calling for sanctions against China and Hong Kong and said he never advocated separatism. Four other people who held senior roles in Apple Daily were called upon by prosecutors to testify about how Lai shaped the outlet's political stance. The mogul said his newspaper championed democracy and freedom, adding that he had always disavowed violence. 'The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong... (including) rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly,' Lai said on the first day of his testimony. Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 after police raids and the arrests of its senior editors. Lai is a British citizen and his son Sebastien reiterated in March calls for British prime minister Keir Starmer to do more, saying: 'I don't want my father to die in jail.' Judges have indicated that a verdict could be reached by October.
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Hong Kong court to hear closing arguments in mogul Jimmy Lai's trial
The 77-year-old founder of the Apple Daily newspaper is charged with foreign collusion under Hong Kong's national security law, which Beijing imposed following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019. Lai has been kept behind bars since December 2020, reportedly in solitary confinement, with Western nations and rights groups calling for his release. Aside from the collusion offence -- which could land him in prison for life -- Lai is also charged with "seditious publication" related to 161 op-eds he allegedly wrote. The tycoon gave spirited courtroom testimony over more than 50 days during the trial, fielding questions about his political ideology, management style and overseas contacts. Lai described himself at least twice as a "political prisoner", which drew sharp rebukes from the three-judge panel. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected criticism related to Lai, saying last month that his case was "handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law". Antoine Bernard of Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday that Lai's treatment "exposes the authorities' ruthless determination to silence and suppress one of the most prominent advocates for press freedom amid Hong Kong's rapidly deteriorating media landscape". 'External political connections' Prosecutors showed the court a diagram titled "(Lai's) external political connections", arguing that he had exerted influence in the United States, Britain and Taiwan. It featured headshots of top US political figures, including President Donald Trump, his former deputy Mike Pence and ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Former Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen was also among those named. Two prosecution witnesses, Chan Tsz-wah and Andy Li, also accused Lai of financially backing the advocacy group "Stand With Hong Kong" to run overseas newspaper ads supporting the 2019 protests. Lai has denied calling for sanctions against China and Hong Kong and said he never advocated separatism. Four other people who held senior roles in Apple Daily were called upon by prosecutors to testify about how Lai shaped the outlet's political stance. The mogul said his newspaper championed democracy and freedom, adding that he had always disavowed violence. "The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong... (including) rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly," Lai said on the first day of his testimony. Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 after police raids and the arrests of its senior editors. Lai is a British citizen and his son Sebastien reiterated in March calls for the Keir Starmer administration to do more, saying: "I don't want my father to die in jail."
CNA
11-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Cambodia to pass laws allowing for citizenship to be stripped
PHNOM PENH: Cambodian lawmakers amended the constitution on Friday (Jul 11), paving the way for people charged with foreign collusion to be stripped of their citizenship, despite concerns such a law could be used to silence government critics. Rights groups have long accused Cambodia's government of using draconian laws to stifle opposition and legitimate political dissent. All of Cambodia's 125 lawmakers, including Prime Minister Hun Manet, voted unanimously to change the wording of the constitution to say "receiving, losing and revoking Khmer nationality shall be determined by law", AFP journalists saw. The constitution previously read "no Khmer citizen shall be deprived of their nationality, exiled, or extradited to another country except through mutual agreement". Justice Minister Koeut Rith told reporters that the amendment would pave the way for authorities to pass laws enabling the government to strip citizenship from anyone who colludes with foreign powers against the state. "If you betray the nation, the nation will not keep you," he said, adding a new citizenship revocation law would soon be submitted to the National Assembly for approval. But human rights activists fear any such law would be used to target government critics and opposition figures. Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement Friday that revocation of citizenship would be a "heinous violation of international law". "We are deeply concerned that the Cambodian government, given the power to strip people of their citizenship, will misuse it to crackdown on its critics and make them stateless," Amnesty International's regional research director Montse Ferrer said. BORDER DISPUTE Citizenship can be revoked on grounds of treason or disloyalty in 15 European Union countries, and only for naturalised citizens in eight of those, according to a European Parliament briefing in February. Influential former leader Hun Sen, Hun Manet's father, last month called for the constitution to be amended to enable Cambodians who "side with foreign nations to harm our country" to be stripped of nationality. He made the call after exiled opposition figures criticised the government amid an ongoing border dispute with Thailand. Koeut Rith brushed off concerns of abuse. "If they (government critics) do not commit any treason crimes or any act that harms the national interest, they are not subjected to citizenship revocation, but they might face other charges," he added. Scores of opposition activists have been jailed or face legal cases filed by Cambodian authorities. Opposition leader Kem Sokha was sentenced in 2023 to 27 years in prison for treason – a charge he has repeatedly denied – and was immediately placed under house arrest.
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing-Hong Kong operation may be first step in ‘complex national security case'
A joint operation by Beijing's national security arm in Hong Kong and the city's police could be the first step in an investigation into an unusually complex collusion case that is ultimately handed over to mainland Chinese authorities, observers have said. Advertisement The investigation is the first publicly known cooperation between the two sides and comes just weeks after the city passed legislation supplementing the domestic national security law aimed at allowing the Beijing office to better carry out its duties. The force cited the new law in 'reminders' it sent to the Post and other media outlets on Friday saying that disclosing any information related to individuals or organisations linked to the investigation could be an offence. The government announced on Thursday that six people and an organisation were suspected of colluding with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security between November 2020 and June 2024. The statement said Beijing's Office for Safeguarding National Security, with its director's approval, had requested assistance and support from the city's national security police in arranging interviews with the people involved. Advertisement But it provided no other details, such as personal information about the individuals or the nature of the organisations involved, the date of the interviews and whether any arrests had been made.
