The 76-year-old media mogul and democracy advocate has been jailed for three years on charges of “collusion with foreign powers.”
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was put on trial on suspicion of breaching national security, hours after Britain joined calls for his immediate release.
Mr. Lai, who has been imprisoned since December 2020, appeared in court at 10 a.m. (2 a.m. Japan time) to face charges of colluding with foreign forces under the national security law that China imposed on the territory in June 2020. He was indicted.
Journalists in the courtroom said the 76-year-old, who was wearing a blue shirt and holding a book, looked thin but in good spirits.
The publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily, one of China’s most vocal critics, was first arrested in August 2020 when police raided the home of the newspaper’s executives.
The trial was supposed to begin a year ago, but was postponed after the government objected to the choice of British lawyer Timothy Owen to defend him and sought intervention from the Chinese government.
Mr. Li and Apple Daily also face charges under sedition laws dating back to the British colonial era.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement late Sunday that he had “grave concerns” about the trial and joined the United States and European Union in calling for Mr. Lai’s immediate release.
Mr. Rai is a British citizen.
“Jimmy Lai, a prominent and outspoken journalist and publisher, was the target of a clear attempt to prevent the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and association,” Prime Minister David Cameron said. He pointed out that the Guarantee Act violates the pledge. It was ceded to Hong Kong in 1997 when Hong Kong regained sovereignty over its territory.
“I urge the Chinese authorities to repeal the National Security Law and end the prosecution of all individuals charged under the law. We ask that Mr. Lai be released.”
“Rule of Law”
Hong Kong’s once vibrant pro-democracy politicians have come under pressure following mass protests in 2019. The demonstrations began with concerns about mainland China and the planned extradition bill, and evolved into calls for greater democracy.
A year after its implementation, Amnesty International said the national security law had “destroyed” Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms.
The United States also called for Mr. Lai’s immediate release and criticized the prosecutors.
“Mr. Lai has been in pretrial detention for more than 1,000 days, and authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing have refused to select legal representation for him,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “We call on the Hong Kong authorities to immediately release Jimmy Lai and all others imprisoned to protect their rights.”
Security was tight on Monday, with Security Secretary Chris Tan warning that security would be stepped up after people had previously gathered to disrupt proceedings and harass prosecutors in “cases of this nature”. Ta.
There were only 70 seats in the main venue at the West Kowloon Court Building, which was open to the public, and people started lining up early to get tickets.
Some police were wearing riot gear and others had dogs with them. A bomb disposal truck was parked nearby.
“Jimmy Lai’s case is a case of weaponizing Hong Kong’s legal system,” Finn Lau, a UK-based activist and founder of Hong Kong Freedom, told Al Jazeera. “There is no rule of law anymore in Hong Kong. It is just the rule of law.”
Mr. Li has already been convicted and imprisoned in separate cases related to his management of Apple Daily and his involvement in a vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The last edition of Apple Daily was published in June 2021.
Other publications critical of the regime were also shut down, and elections were overhauled to allow only so-called “patriots” to hold public office in the territory.
In last week’s district council elections, turnout was just 27.5%, the lowest ever. The number of directly elected seats was reduced from 462 to just 88, and all candidates were required to receive formal approval before running.
“Changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system by the Chinese government and local authorities that suppress freedom of the press, restrict the free flow of information, and curtail direct voting and prevent the participation of pro-independence and pro-democracy candidates are , has undermined Hong Kong’s democratic institutions and “damaged Hong Kong’s reputation as an international business and financial center,” Miller said in a statement.
