Final arguments have concluded in the national security trial of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. Government-picked judges are now considering their verdict in a case widely seen as a test of the rule of law in the city.
Lai, 77, has been imprisoned since 2020 on charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious material, brought under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing. Prosecutors accused him of using his media outlet, Apple Daily, and foreign connections to lobby for sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.
Lai's defence team argued that prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence, with senior counsel Robert Pang defending Apple Daily's role in public discourse. “It is not wrong to support freedom of expression. It is not wrong to support human rights,” Pang told the court.
The trial, which stretched to 156 days, has drawn international criticism. Foreign governments and rights groups have condemned the prosecution, particularly the blocking of Lai's chosen UK barrister. The authorities have rejected the criticism, labelling Lai a political tool of foreign forces.
Lai, who faces life in prison if convicted, smiled and waved at the public gallery as he was led away. The judges said a verdict would be announced “in good time”.
