Judges have begun deliberating on the verdict in Jimmy Lai’s trial. He is the founder of the widely popular, now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Known for its critical coverage of the Chinese Communist Party, Apple Daily became a symbol of press freedom in Hong Kong. Lai’s ongoing legal fight illustrates the already high tensions between pro-democracy activists and the Chinese central government in Beijing. This conflict deepens as national security laws are increasingly enacted.
Lawmaker and publisher Jimmy Lai is on trial on multiple serious charges including sedition and colluding with foreign forces. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison under Hong Kong’s national security law. At the trial, the process is watched over by three specially trained judges rather than a jury. Lai continues to plead not guilty to all charges, maintaining he’s innocent. His relatively small legal team contends that providing strong defense for freedom of expression and support for human rights in general should never be considered a crime.
During the trial, Lai has suffered from health complications, including heart palpitations and loss of consciousness. His lawyers asked for as many as 10 adjournments so that he could get the prescribed medicines and a heart monitor. In reaction to this, prosecutors made extra efforts to have the medical staff engaged by the trial serve to help oversee his health during the trial. In response to these urgent health concerns, a government spokesperson guaranteed that Lai would receive regular medical check-ups and “adequate and comprehensive” medical care in custody.
Due to Lai’s prominence as a Hong Kong pro-democracy figure, his arrest has drawn international attention. U.S. President Joe Biden has gone on record promising to do “whatever it takes to save Lai.” He emphasized the trial’s larger implications on human rights in Hong Kong. Prosecutors seek to rebut this alternative narrative. Specifically, they use as evidence that Lai is the “mastermind” of a conspiracy to smear Hong Kong and China’s reputation and that he lobbied powerful U.S. officials, like former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
So far, the Chinese Embassy in Washington and Lai’s local Hong Kong government have leveled bombastic charges against Lai. They allege that he is seeking to recruit “outlandish external forces” to disrupt the region. Under this highly politicized environment, Lai’s trial is currently taking place. It has become the biggest live test of the national security laws that Beijing has imposed on the territory.
“It’s not wrong to support freedom of expression or human rights,” – Robert Pang SC
“Nor is it wrong not to love a particular administration or even a country.” – Robert Pang SC
