Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai testifies in controversial trial
Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong, is testifying on Wednesday in a national security trial that could lead to a life sentence.
The 76-year-old founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily tabloid is accused of colluding with foreign powers by using his media platform to challenge the government.
This marks Lai’s first time testifying in court, despite facing multiple trials since 2020, all of which are widely viewed as politically driven amid Beijing’s increasing control over Hong Kong.
During his testimony on Wednesday, Lai stated that Apple Daily stood for Hong Kong’s core values, including “freedom and the pursuit of democracy.”
His trial comes one day after the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy activists, part of the Hong Kong 47 group, in the city’s largest trial under the contentious national security law.
The ongoing trial focuses on allegations that Apple Daily published articles supporting the pro-democracy protests of 2019, which Beijing deemed a threat to national security.
Lai argued on Wednesday that he condemned violence and that the notion of Hong Kong independence was “too crazy to think about.”
“The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong,” he added.
These values, he said, include the “rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.”
Lai was previously sentenced to jail on charges including unauthorised assembly and fraud, and has been held in solitary confinement since late 2020.
Dozens queued up outside the court on Wednesday morning to show their support for the media mogul.
A similar crowd gathered on Tuesday for the sentencing of the Hong Kong 47, which included some of the biggest names in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, like Benny Tai and Joshua Wong.
The prosecution of Lai, who holds British citizenship, has captured international attention, with rights groups and foreign governments urging his release.
US President-elect Donald Trump said in a podcast in October that he would “100%” get Lai out of China – a claim that was met with calls for “mutual respect” from Hong Kong’s leader John Lee.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has described Lai as a “priority” for his government, expressed concerns about Lai’s “deterioration” when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro this week.
Lai’s family and legal team have raised concerns about his health, pointing to his weight loss and increasing frailty during his recent court appearances.
